Diffractive scattering of metastable 2 3S He (He*) has been used for the first time to determine the long‐range spin ordering on the surface of an antiferromagnetic insulator. Although the long‐lived He* has a high probability of deexcitation on impact with a surface, its survival probability can be enhanced when an appropriately located electron energy gap and localized spins are present on the surface. A periodic arrangement of the orientation of the local moments on the surface then leads to a periodic modulation of the beam attenuation that is reflected in the corresponding diffraction pattern. We have measured the electron spin ordering on a NiO(100) surface and found a structure quite different from the bulk antiferromagnetic arrangement. We have developed a model of the scattering process that is based on a modified version of the eikonal approximation and uses a dissipative hard corrugated wall to include the effects of a spatially modulated attenuation of the He beam. Calculations performed with this model are in good qualitative agreement with our experimental data.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
July 1994
The 40th National Symposium of the American Vacuum Society
15−19 Nov 1993
Orlando, Florida (USA)
Research Article|
July 01 1994
Spin ordering on a NiO(100) surface measured by metastable He 2 3S scattering
A. Swan;
A. Swan
Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Search for other works by this author on:
M. Marynowski;
M. Marynowski
Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Search for other works by this author on:
W. Franzen;
W. Franzen
Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Search for other works by this author on:
M. El‐Batanouny;
M. El‐Batanouny
Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Search for other works by this author on:
K. M. Martini
K. M. Martini
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
Search for other works by this author on:
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 12, 2219–2223 (1994)
Article history
Received:
October 07 1993
Accepted:
February 28 1994
Citation
A. Swan, M. Marynowski, W. Franzen, M. El‐Batanouny, K. M. Martini; Spin ordering on a NiO(100) surface measured by metastable He 2 3S scattering. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 July 1994; 12 (4): 2219–2223. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.579118
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionPay-Per-View Access
$40.00