Scientific Highlights
Excited states at interfaces of a metal-supported ultrathin oxide film
At the PEARL beamline, metal-supported ultrathin oxide films have been studied which are a class of materials of technological importance in various research fields such as catalysis, spintronics, or nanoelectronics.
Interfacial Control of Magnetic Properties at LaMnO3/LaNiO3 heterostructures
Using a X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measured at the X-Treme beamline, SLS, in conjunction with X-ray reflectivity measured at the SEXTANTS beamline, SOLEIL, the authors show that the degree of intermixing at the monolayer scale allows interface-driven properties such as charge transfer and the induced magnetic moment in the nickelate layer to be controlled.
A la recherche du plus petit bit
Si l’on veut produire à l’avenir des supports de stockage pour média toujours plus compacts, il faut que les domaines magnétiques à les bits de stockage à soient de plus en plus petits. Mais quelle est la taille minimale d’un tel aimant ? Des chercheurs de l’Institut Paul Scherrer PSI étudient les phénomènes surprenants du nanomagnétisme.
Reduction of Mn19 Coordination Clusters on a Gold Surface
The surface-induced changes of the oxidation state and magnetic properties of Mn ion clusters have been probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism.
Fermi Surface of Three-Dimensional La1−xSrxMnO3 Explored by Soft-X-Ray ARPES: Rhombohedral Lattice Distortion and its Effect on Magnetoresistance
A research team led by scientists from the Swiss Light Source has for the first time established three-dimensional (3D) electronic structure of the perovskite compound La1−xSrxMnO3 connected with its colossal magnetoresistance. Instrumental for this study has been the use of the new experimental technique of soft-x-ray ARPES, available at the ADRESS beamline, with its intrinsically sharp definition of 3D electron momentum.
Ultrafast structural dynamics of the Fe-pnictide parent compound BaFe2As2
Understanding the interplay of the various degrees of freedom such as the electrons, spins and lattice is essential for many complex materials, including the high-temperature superconductors.
Batman montre la voie vers un stockage de données plus compact
Des chercheurs de l'Institut Paul Scherrer (PSI) ont réussi à renverser l'aimantation de minuscules structures magnétiques grâce à la lumière d'un laser, et à suivre le déroulement de ce retournement au cours du temps. Une zone de quelques nanomètres a alors brièvement clignoté. Fait insolite : sa forme rappelait le logo en forme de chauve-souris de Batman. Les résultats de cette recherche pourraient rendre le stockage de données sur les disques durs plus compact, plus rapide et plus économique.
Nanoscale sub-100 picosecond all-optical magnetization switching in GdFeCo microstructure
Ultrafast magnetization reversal driven by femtosecond laser pulses has been shown to be a promising way to write information. Seeking to improve the recording density has raised intriguing fundamental questions about the feasibility of combining ultrafast temporal resolution with sub-wavelength spatial resolution for magnetic recording. Here we report on the experimental demonstration of nanoscale sub-100 ps all-optical magnetization switching, providing a path to sub-wavelength magnetic recording.
Control of Tc in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 via piezostrain
X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements evidence a 10K shift of the magnetic Curie temperature for La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 deposited on the piezoelectric substrate [Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3]0.68−[PbTiO3]0.32 (011) for two different remanent piezostrain states.