Influence of surface on the effective magnetic fields in α-Fe2O3 and FeBO3

Abstract

First measurements of the effective magnetic fields as a function of the depth at which the iron ions are in the surface layer of α-Fe2O3 and FeBO3 single crystals are reported. The method used is the depth-selective conversion-electron Mossbauer spectroscopy. An analysis of experimental spectra revealed that the magnetic properties of the crystal surface vary smoothly from the bulk to surface characteristics within a layer ∼100 nm thick. The layers lying below ∼100 nm from the surface are similar in properties to the bulk of the crystal, and their spectra consist of narrow lines. The spectral linewidths increase smoothly as one approaches the crystal surface. The spectra obtained from a ∼10-nm thick surface layer consist of broad lines indicating a broad distribution of effective magnetic fields. Calculations show that the field distribution width in this layer is δ=2.1(3) T, for an average value Heff=32.2(4) T. It has been experimentally established that, at room temperature (291 K), the effective magnetic fields smoothly decrease as one approaches the crystal surface. The effective fields in a 2.4(9)-nm surface layer of α-Fe2O3 crystals are lower by 0.7(2)% than the fields at the ion nuclei in the bulk of the sample. In the case of FeBO3, the effective fields decrease by 1.2(3)% in a surface layer 4.9(9) nm thick.