Magnetic Properties of bcc-Fe(001)/C-60 Interfaces for Organic Spintronics

Summary, in English

The magnetic structure of the interfaces between organic semiconductors and ferromagnetic contacts plays a key role in the spin injection and extraction processes in organic spintronic devices. We present a combined computational (density functional theory) and experimental (X-ray magnetic circular dichroism) study on the magnetic properties of interfaces between bcc-Fe(001) and C-60 molecules. C-60 is an interesting candidate for application in organic spintronics due to the absence of hydrogen atoms and the associated hyperfine fields. Adsorption of C-60 on Fe(001) reduces the magnetic moments on the top Fe layers by similar to 6%, while inducing an antiparrallel magnetic moment of similar to-0.2 mu(B) on C-60. Adsorption of C-60 on a model ferromagnetic substrate consisting of three Fe monolayers on W(001) leads to a different structure but to very similar interface magnetic properties.

• Author: T. Lan Anh Tran; Deniz Cakir; P. K. Johnny Wong; Alexei Preobrajenski; Geert Brocks; Wilfred G. van der Wiel; Michel P. de Jong
• Department/s: MAX IV Laboratory
• Publishing year: 2013
• Language: English
• Pages: 837-841
• Publication/Series: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 3
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/am3024367
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: The American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Topic: Physical Sciences; Natural Sciences
• Keywords: metal-organic interfaces; spintronics; X-ray absorption spectroscopy; X-ray magnetic circular dichroism; first-principles calculations; density functional theory
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1944-8244