Magnetism in a graphene-4f3d hybrid system

Felix Huttmann, David Klar, Nicolae Atodiresei, Carolin Schmitz-Antoniak, Alevtina Smekhova, Antonio J. Martínez-Galera, Vasile Caciuc, Gustav Bihlmayer, Stefan Blügel, Thomas Michely, and Heiko Wende
Phys. Rev. B 95, 075427 – Published 23 February 2017

Abstract

We create an interface of graphene with a metallic and magnetic support that leaves its electronic structure largely intact. This is achieved by exposing epitaxial graphene on ferromagnetic thin films of Co and Ni to vapor of the rare earth metal Eu at elevated temperatures, resulting in the intercalation of an Eu monolayer in between graphene and its substrate. The system is atomically well defined, with the Eu monolayer forming a (3×3)R30 superstructure with respect to the graphene lattice. Thereby, we avoid the strong hybridization with the (Ni,Co) substrate 3d states that otherwise drastically modify the electronic structure of graphene. This picture is suggested by our x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements which show that after Eu intercalation the empty 2p states of C atoms resemble more the ones measured for graphite in contrast to graphene directly bound to 3d ferromagnetic substrates. We use x-ray magnetic circular dichroism at the Co and Ni L2,3 and Eu M4,5 as an element-specific probe to investigate magnetism in these systems. An antiferromagnetic coupling between Eu and Co/Ni moments is found, which is so strong that a magnetic moment of the Eu layer can be detected at room temperature. Density functional theory calculations confirm the antiferromagnetic coupling and provide an atomic insight into the magnetic coupling mechanism.

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  • Received 6 November 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.075427

©2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Felix Huttmann1,*, David Klar2, Nicolae Atodiresei3,†, Carolin Schmitz-Antoniak2,4, Alevtina Smekhova2,4, Antonio J. Martínez-Galera1, Vasile Caciuc3, Gustav Bihlmayer3, Stefan Blügel3, Thomas Michely1, and Heiko Wende2

  • 1II. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
  • 2Fakultät für Physik and Center for Nanointegration (CENIDE), Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstr. 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
  • 3Peter-Grünberg-Institut (PGI-1) and Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
  • 4Peter-Grünberg-Institut (PGI-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany

  • *huttmann@ph2.uni-koeln.de
  • n.atodiresei@fz-juelich.de

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Issue

Vol. 95, Iss. 7 — 15 February 2017

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