Spin polarized low energy electron microscopy of quantum well resonances in Fe films on the Cu-covered W(110) surface

Abstract

Spin polarized low energy electron microscopy has been used to investigate the quantum size effect (QSE) in electron reflectivity from Fe films grown on a pseudomorphic Cu layer on a W(110) surface. Intensity oscillations caused by the QSE as functions of Fe film thickness and incident electron energy identify quantum well resonance conditions in the film. Evaluation of these intensity oscillations using the phase accumulation model provides information on the unoccupied spin polarized band structure in the Fe film above the vacuum level. We also find evidence that the presence of the non-magnetic Cu layer shifts spin polarized quantum well resonances in the Fe layer uniformly downward in energy by 1.1eV compared to Fe/W(110) films without an interface Cu layer, suggesting that the Cu layer gives a small degree of control over the quantum well resonances.