RESUMEN
In this work we present a comprehensive study of the domain structure of a nickel oxide single crystal grown by floating zone melting and suggest a correlation between point defects and the observed domain structure. The properties and structure of domains dictate the dynamics of resistive switching, water splitting and gas sensing, to name but a few. Investigating the correlation between point defects and domain structure can provide a deeper understanding of their formation and structure, which potentially allows one to tailor domain structure and the dynamics of the aforementioned applications. A range of inhomogeneities are observed by diffraction and microscopy techniques. X-ray and low-energy electron diffraction reveal domains on the submicron- and nanometer-scales, respectively. In turn, these domains are visualised by atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), respectively. A comprehensive transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study reveals inhomogeneities ranging from domains of varying size, misorientation of domains, variation of the lattice constant and bending of lattice planes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy indicate the crystal is Ni deficient. Density functional theory calculations-considering the spatial and electronic disturbance induced by the favourable nickel vacancy-reveal a nanoscale distortion comparable to STM and TEM observations. The different inhomogeneities are understood in terms of the structural relaxation induced by ordering of nickel vacancies, which is predicted to be favourable.
RESUMEN
The growth of Fe nanostructures on the stoichiometric MoO2/Mo(110) and oxygen-rich MoO2+x /Mo(110) surfaces has been studied using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory calculations. STM results indicate that at low coverage Fe nucleates on the MoO2/Mo(110) surface, forming small, well-ordered nanoclusters of uniform size, each consisting of five Fe atoms. These five-atom clusters can agglomerate into larger nanostructures reflecting the substrate geometry, but they retain their individual character within the structure. Linear Fe nanocluster arrays are formed on the MoO2/Mo(110) surface at room temperature when the surface coverage is greater than 0.6 monolayers. These nanocluster arrays follow the direction of the oxide rows of the strained MoO2/Mo(110) surface. Slightly altering the preparation procedure of MoO2/Mo(110) leads to the presence of oxygen adatoms on this surface. Fe deposition onto the oxygen-rich MoO2+x /Mo(110) surface results in elongated nanostructures that reach up to 24 nm in length. These nanolines have a zigzag shape and are likely composed of partially oxidised Fe formed upon reaction with the oxygen-rich surface.
RESUMEN
The structure of the [001]-oriented single crystalline tungsten probes sharpened in ultra-high vacuum using electron beam heating and ion sputtering has been studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electron microscopy data prove reproducible fabrication of the single-apex tips with nanoscale pyramids grained by the {011} planes at the apexes. These sharp, [001]-oriented tungsten tips have been successfully utilized in high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy imaging of HOPG(0001), SiC(001) and graphene/SiC(001) surfaces. The electron microscopy characterization performed before and after the high resolution STM experiments provides direct correlation between the tip structure and picoscale spatial resolution achieved in the experiments.
RESUMEN
Nanostructured Pd-Fe thin films with varied Fe content were prepared by electrodeposition technique from organic electrolytes on Cu and brass substrates. The structure and the magnetic properties of the films were investigated prior to post-deposition annealing. The structure of the Pd1-xFe(x) thin film with x = 0.14, 0.24, and 0.52 was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as a solid solution of iron in palladium face-centered cubic lattice with the (111) orientation of nanograins relatively to the substrate surface. The films with higher iron concentration, x = 0.74, 0.91, have structure of a solid solution based on the body-centered cubic lattice. The average grain size determined by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the first two alloys is 7-10 nm, and for the latter ones it is about 120 nm. The saturation magnetization of the films has linear dependence on the iron content, but coercivity has non-monotonic dependence on x, i.e., the films with x = 0.68 show highest coercivity. The magnetic anisotropy of the samples is studied by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy.
RESUMEN
We report on scanning tunneling microscopy studies of the Cu(014)-O surface using MnNi tips. Remarkably, the results show a regular apparent doubling of surface atomic rows in the {110} direction. A qualitative explanation of this feature based on tight binding and density functional theory calculations of the electronic structure of the tip is presented. Double imaging of the same atom by different legs of dyz orbital could be the reason for the observed doubling. The orientation of the orbital is determined by the O-Mn crystal field.
