SPLEEM of Magnetic Surfaces and Layered Structures

Abstract

Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy (SPLEEM) is a new approach to magnetic-surface imaging. Historically, it is an outgrowth of LEEM (low-energy electron microscopy), which has been successfully applied to the high-speed in situ imaging of microscopic surface structures under clean ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) conditions. In terms of basic instrument design, in SPLEEM a spin-polarized electron source of the Pierce type replaces the LaB6 field-emission electron source used in all dedicated LEEM systems. A new, fully electrostatic version of LEEM has recently been developed, resulting in a more compact, flange-on-type instrument component, which can be integrated with standard UHV surface analytical systems. The main advantage of the new SPLEEM technique is an advanced electron-source design that allows the spin direction to be arbitrarily adjusted with respect to the sample surface (see the following).