ABSTRACT
Low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) imaging of strained MnAs layers epitaxially grown on GaAs(001) reveals striped contrast features that become more pronounced and vary systematically in width with increasing defocus, but that are completely absent in focus. Weaker subsidiary fringe-like features are observed along the stripe lengths, while asymmetric contrast reversal occurs between under-focus and over-focus conditions. A Fourier optics calculation is performed that demonstrates that these unusual observations can be attributed to a phase contrast mechanism between the hexagonal α phase and orthorhombic ß phase regions of the MnAs film, which self-organize into a periodic stripe array with ridge-groove morphology. The unequal widths of the α and ß phase regions are determined accurately from the through focus series, while the height variation in this system can also be determined in principle from the energy dependence of contrast.
ABSTRACT
Magnetic properties of iron films grown on Au layers with different thicknesses on a W(110) surface are studied with spin polarized low energy electron microscopy. The iron thickness for the onset of ferromagnetic order depends approximately linearly on the thickness of underlying gold film. The easy axis direction also depends upon the Au thickness. It is parallel to the tungsten [Formula: see text] direction at the onset of magnetization for one and two monolayers of gold. For thicker gold films the easy axis is parallel to the [001] direction. The direction of the easy axis and the onset of ferromagnetic order are discussed in terms of magnetic anisotropies, interaction between the iron overlayer, gold and tungsten substrate, Fe film strain and morphology.
ABSTRACT
The hydrostatic compression of piezoelectric single crystals of La(3)Nb(0.5)Ga(5.5)O(14) (LNG) and La(3)Ta(0.5)Ga(5.5)O(14) (LTG) was studied at pressures of up to 23 GPa in diamond-anvil high-pressure cells using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The reflection-intensity data for LNG and LTG were collected at pressures of up to 22.8 GPa and 16.7 GPa, respectively. Both compounds show anisotropic behaviour under pressure, which is caused by differences in bonding parallel to the a and c directions. The compression of strongly rigid structures leads to increasing internal strains and results, at pressures of 12.4 (3) GPa for LNG and 11.7 (3) GPa for LTG, in a transition to lower symmetry. The compressibilities along the c axis are almost the same for LNG and LTG through the whole investigated pressure range. In contrast, the pressure dependencies of the a axis of these materials are similar only for the initial phase, and the axial compressibilities for the high-pressure polymorphs of LNG and LTG are significantly different to each other. The volume compressibilities of trigonal LNG and LTG (space group P321) are about 0.007 GPa(-1); respective bulk moduli are 145 (3) GPa and 144 (2) GPa. The monoclinic high-pressure phases (space group A2) of LNG and LTG show differing compressions, which can be explained by the substitution of Ta(5+) for Nb(5+). Thus, the bulk moduli for the high-pressure polymorphs of LNG and LTG are B(0) = 93 (2) GPa and B(0) = 128 (12) GPa, respectively. The volume compressibilities of the high-pressure phases at 0.011 GPa(-1) for LNG and 0.008 GPa(-1) for LTG are higher than the initial phases, this effect being more pronounced in the case of LNG.
