Magnetic-Field-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy: Engineering of Fe3O4 Ultrathin Films on MgO(111)

Abstract

Molecular beam epitaxy is widely used for engineering low-dimensional materials. Here, we present a novel extension of the capabilities of this method by assisting epitaxial growth with the presence of an external magnetic field (MF). MF-assisted epitaxial growth was implemented under ultra-high vacuum conditions thanks to specialized sample holders for generating in-plane or out-of-plane MF and dedicated manipulator stations with heating and cooling options. The significant impact of MF on the magnetic properties was shown for ultra-thin epitaxial magnetite films grown on MgO(111). Using in situ and ex situ characterization methods, scanning tunneling microscopy, conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy, and the magneto-optic Kerr effect, we showed that the in-plane MF applied during the reactive deposition of 10 nm Fe3O4(111)/MgO(111) heterostructures influenced the growth morphology of the magnetite films, which affects both in-plane and out-of-plane characteristics of the magnetization process. The observed changes are explained in terms of modification of the effective magnetic anisotropy.

Low-Dimensional Structures for Smart Materials and Composites: Preparation, Properties and Applications

“…Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is a widely used method for engineering low-dimensional-materials. Dziwoki et al [21] introduced a novel extension to MBE by incorporating an external magnetic field (MF) during epitaxial growth. The MF-assisted epitaxial growth was conducted under ultra-high vacuum conditions using sample holders capable of generating in-plane/out-of-plane MF.…”