Probing the spin spiral in Fe chains on Ir(001) using magnetic exchange force microscopy

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Atomic-scale one-dimensional systems exhibit collective spin texture motion for low-current information transmission.
• Current-free readout of spin textures is crucial for miniaturized spintronic devices but remains challenging.
• Direct probing without electrical techniques is needed to overcome limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spin texture in one-dimensional iron (Fe) chains on an iridium (Ir(001)) surface.
• To demonstrate a current-free method for reading spin textures at the nanoscale.
• To assess the robustness of spin textures against chemical interactions during probing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized magnetic exchange force microscopy (M-EFM) to probe the spin texture.
• Examined Fe chains on Ir(001) at varying tip-sample distances.
• Analyzed ferromagnetic coupling between the M-EFM tip and the Fe chain.

Main Results:

• Ferromagnetic coupling at large tip-sample distances enabled readout of the spin texture.
• Spin textures in the Fe chains demonstrated robustness against chemical interactions at small tip-sample distances.
• Successful local detection of spins in a one-dimensional structure was achieved.

Conclusions:

• Magnetic exchange force microscopy provides a viable current-free method for reading spin textures in one-dimensional systems.
• The demonstrated technique is suitable for examining spin information propagation in miniaturized spin logic devices.
• This approach may enable the development of advanced nanoscale information processing technologies.