Bulk ferromagnetic tips for spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy

金沢大学理工学研究域数物科学系／Ex:Institute of Science and Engineering，Mathematics and PhysicsWe characterized the performance of electrochemically etched bulk Fe and Ni tips as a probe of spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM). Through the observation of the striped contrast on the conical spin-spiral structure formed in Mn double layers on a W(110) substrate, the capability of both the tips to detect the magnetic signal was clarified. We also confirmed that the magnetized direction of the Fe and Ni tips can be flipped between the two out-of-plane directions by external magnetic fields. Our results demonstrate that the ex-situ prepared tips are reliable in SP-STM for the samples that are not susceptible to a stray magnetic field. © 2019 Author(s).Embargo Period 12 month