Quantum well states and amplified spin-dependent Friedel oscillations in thin films.

Electrons mediate many of the interactions between atoms in a solid. Their propagation in a material determines its thermal, electrical, optical, magnetic and transport properties. Therefore, the constant energy contours characterizing the electrons, in particular the Fermi surface, have a prime impact on the behaviour of materials. If anisotropic, the contours induce strong directional dependence at the nanoscale in the Friedel oscillations surrounding impurities. Here we report on giant anisotropic charge density oscillations focused along specific directions with strong spin-filtering after scattering at an oxygen impurity embedded in the surface of a ferromagnetic thin film of Fe grown on W(001). Utilizing density functional theory, we demonstrate that by changing the thickness of the Fe films, we control quantum well states confined to two dimensions that manifest as multiple flat energy contours, impinging and tuning the strength of the induced charge oscillations which allow to detect the oxygen impurity at large distances (≈50 nm).

Seeing the Fermi surface in real space by nanoscale electron focusing.

The Fermi surface that characterizes the electronic band structure of crystalline solids can be difficult to image experimentally in a way that reveals local variations. We show that Fermi surfaces can be imaged in real space with a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope when subsurface point scatterers are present: in this case, cobalt impurities under a copper surface. Even the very simple Fermi surface of copper causes strongly anisotropic propagation characteristics of bulk electrons that are confined in beamlike paths on the nanoscale. The induced charge density oscillations on the nearby surface can be used for mapping buried defects and interfaces and some of their properties.

Magnetism of nanowires driven by novel even-odd effects.

The parity of the number of atoms in finite antiferromagnetic nanowires deposited on ferromagnets is shown to be a crucial quantity determining their magnetic ground state. Relating results of the full-potential Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method for noncollinear magnetism from first principles to a Heisenberg model, we show that the magnetic structure changes dramatically across the entire nanowire if one single atom is added to it. Infinite and finite even-numbered nanochains exhibit always noncollinear magnetism, while odd-numbered wires lead under given conditions to a collinear ferrimagnetic ground state. This extremely nonlocal effect occurs only for nanosized wires.