Atomic-Scale Spin-Polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy: A Review

Abstract

Atomic-scale spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy is a powerful real-space technique for investigating the magnetic structure of surfaces. With its intrinsic lateral resolution capability, this technique can achieve atomic-scale resolved spin resolution of surfaces. Antiferromagnets, in particular, offer opportunities to test the spatial resolution of magnetism at ultimate length scales, where the magnetization reverses on the scale of one atomic spacing. But in addition, the technique has been applied with very interesting results to the case of ferromagnetic surfaces. Reviewed here are the various contemporary experimental results, including a discussion of the theoretical basis for atomic-scale magnetic imaging. Theoretical calculations to simulate the magnetic STM images are also discussed, including those calculations which take into account the tip electronic structure.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Semiconductor Materials

“…Due to the increasing interest in diluted magnetic semiconductor for spintronics, spin-polarized STM will be increasingly used to investigate magnetic structures in semiconductor materials (Smith, 2006). More and more setups are now able to work under high magnetic field and magnetic tips are currently available.…”

Scanning tunneling microscope operating as a spin diode

“…STM was also applied to study the interactions between isolated Mn acceptors and the influence of the surface on the impurity properties in diluted magnetic semiconductors, e.g., Mn-doped GaAs. 8,9 More interesting, spin-polarized STM, sensitive to surface magnetization, 10 has been used to map the morphology and the density of states of single magnetic structures 11 and magnetic quantum dots. 12 STM has also been employed in the investigation and identification of promising molecular switches, which could be used in future nanoscale circuits.…”