Residual Magnetic Moment Influences the Features of Fe3s XPS Spectrum: A Case Study

Background: Fe 3sXPS spectrumexhibits doublet peak instead of predicted singlet peak based on spin-orbit coupling theory. This anomalous behavior is considered to be magnetic origin. However, the effect of residual magnetic moment to the features of Fe3s doublet peakis not understood fully. Objective: This study aims to verify the effect of residual magnetic moment on the spectral features of Fe3s XPS spectrum of magnetic material. Method: As a case study, we have carried out a high temperature XPS study of the Fe 3s spectrum of magnetic domain aligned (MDA) sample with composition composed of SrFe10.8Al1.2O19. In addition, the XPS data have been compared with the data acquired at different temperatures of magnetic domain non-aligned (MDNA) sample. Results: The results show that the majority peak intensity and minority peak width of Fe 3s spectrum of MDA are smaller than those of the MDNA sample, and they increase systematically with increasing temperature. However, it is noted that the features of Fe3s spectrum of both MDA and MDNA samples are completely overlapped near and above the Curie temperature, Tc ~ 670K. Conclusion: The analysis of XPS data suggests that the residual magnetic moment influences the spectral features of Fe3s spectrum. These results provide evidences that it is important to consider the contribution of residual magnetic moment while deriving information from Fe 3s XPS spectrum of MDA sample.

Mapping solar magnetic fields from the photosphere to the base of the corona

Routine ultraviolet imaging of the Sun’s upper atmosphere shows the spectacular manifestation of solar activity; yet, we remain blind to its main driver, the magnetic field. Here, we report unprecedented spectropolarimetric observations of an active region plage and its surrounding enhanced network, showing circular polarization in ultraviolet (Mg iih & k and Mn i) and visible (Fe i) lines. We infer the longitudinal magnetic field from the photosphere to the very upper chromosphere. At the top of the plage chromosphere, the field strengths reach more than 300 G, strongly correlated with the Mg iik line core intensity and the electron pressure. This unique mapping shows how the magnetic field couples the different atmospheric layers and reveals the magnetic origin of the heating in the plage chromosphere.

Insights into the magnetic origin of CunCr (n= 9÷11) clusters: A superposition of magnetic and electronic shells

Interests in Cu-Cr sub-nanometer systems have been increasing due to the recently-found icosahedral Cu12Cr cluster as a superatomic molecule, where the 3d-Cr and 4s-Cu electrons can phenomenologically form the 18-e molecular shell (1S21P61D10) of Cu12Cr. In this report, we set out to investigate the energetically-preferred geometries and stabilities of CunCr (n = 9÷11) clusters using the density-functional-theory calculations. It is found that not all of 3d-Cr electrons involve in the formation of the cluster shell and the remaining localized ones cause the magnetic moment of the clusters, which is different from what was believed.

Imaging and writing magnetic domains in the non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn3Sn

Non-collinear antiferromagnets are revealing many unexpected phenomena and they became crucial for the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics. To visualize and prepare a well-defined domain structure is of key importance. The spatial magnetic contrast, however, remains extraordinarily difficult to be observed experimentally. Here, we demonstrate a magnetic imaging technique based on a laser induced local thermal gradient combined with detection of the anomalous Nernst effect. We employ this method in one the most actively studied representatives of this class of materials—Mn3Sn. We demonstrate that the observed contrast is of magnetic origin. We further show an algorithm to prepare a well-defined domain pattern at room temperature based on heat assisted recording principle. Our study opens up a prospect to study spintronics phenomena in non-collinear antiferromagnets with spatial resolution.

Magnon and Phonon Excitations in Nanosized NiO

Single-crystal, microcrystalline and nanocrystalline nickel oxides (NiO) have been studied by Raman spectroscopy. A new band at ~200 cm−1 and TO-LO splitting of the band at 350–650 cm−1 have been found in the spectra of single-crystals NiO(100), NiO(110) and NiO(111). The Raman spectra of microcrystalline (1500 nm) and nanocrystalline (13–100 nm) NiO resemble those of the single crystals. They all contain the two-magnon band at 1500 cm−1, indicating that the oxides remain at room temperature in the antiferromagnetic phase. Besides, a new sharp Raman band has been observed at 500 cm−1 in nanocrystalline NiO. Its temperature dependence suggests the magnetic origin of the band, possibly associated with the one-phonon–one-magnon excitation at the Brillouin zone centre.

Correction: Compliments of confinements: substitution and dimension induced magnetic origin and band-bending mediated photocatalytic enhancements in Bi1−xDyxFeO3 particulate and fiber nanostructures

Correction for ‘Compliments of confinements: substitution and dimension induced magnetic origin and band-bending mediated photocatalytic enhancements in Bi1−xDyxFeO3 particulate and fiber nanostructures’ by M. Sakar et al., Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 10667–10679.