Low Energy Muon Spin Rotation Research Articles

Spatially Resolved Inhomogeneous Ferromagnetism in(Ga,Mn)AsDiluted Magnetic Semiconductors: A Microscopic Study by Muon Spin Relaxation

Thin epitaxial films of the diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) GaMnAs have been studied by low energy muon spin rotation and relaxation (LE-microSR) as well as by transport and magnetization measurement techniques. LE-microSR allows measurements of the distribution of magnetic field on the nanometer scale inaccessible to traditional macroscopic techniques. The spatial inhomogeneity of the magnetic field is resolved: although homogeneous above Tc, below Tc the DMS consists of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic regions of comparable volumes. In the ferromagnetic regions the local field inhomogeneity amounts to 0.03 T.

Polaronic origin of the isotope effect on the London penetration depth in high-temperature superconducting oxides

Direct measurements of the in-plane London penetration depth λ L have recently been performed on high-temperature superconducting copper oxides by a new low-energy muon spin rotation technique. The results show that λ L is isotope dependent, evidencing unconventional electron–phonon interactions as its source. The data are interpreted here in terms of polaronic effects on the single-particle energies, which leads to level shifts and exponential band narrowing. Good agreement with the experimental data is obtained.

Direct Observation of Nonlocal Effects in a Superconductor

We have used the technique of low energy muon spin rotation to measure the local magnetic field profile B(z) beneath the surface of a lead film maintained in the Meissner state (z depth from the surface, z less, similar 200 nm). The data unambiguously show that B(z) clearly deviates from an exponential law and represent the first direct, model independent proof for a nonlocal response in a superconductor.

Direct observation of the oxygen isotope effect on the in-plane magnetic field penetration depth in optimally doped YBa2Cu3O7-delta.

We report the first direct observation of the oxygen-isotope ((16)O/(18)O) effect on the in-plane penetration depth lambda(ab) in a nearly optimally doped YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) film using the novel low-energy muon-spin rotation technique. Spin-polarized low-energy muons are implanted in the film at a known depth z beneath the surface and process in the local magnetic field B(z). This feature allows us to measure directly the profile B(z) of the magnetic field inside the superconducting film in the Meissner state and to make a straightforward determination of lambda(ab). A substantial isotope shift Delta lambda(ab)/lambda(ab)=2.8(1.0)% at 4 K is observed, implying that the in-plane effective supercarrier mass m*(ab) is oxygen-isotope dependent with Delta m*(ab)/m*(ab)=5.5(2.0)%. These results are in good agreement with magnetization measurements on powder samples.

Long range electron spin polarization in the Ag layer of a Fe/Ag film

The depth dependence of the induced electron spin polarization below the magnetic interface of an epitaxial 4 nm Fe /300 nm Ag (0 0 1) bilayer has been investigated by means of low energy muon spin rotation (LE-μSR, Appl. Magn. Reson. 13(1997) 219). The mean stopping depth of the muons in the Ag layer can be tuned between 10 and 110 nm . A long range spin polarization is deduced from the μSR data. These measurements complement earlier investigations on a 4 nm Fe /20 nm Ag /4 nm Fe (0 0 1) trilayer (Phys. Rev. Lett. 91 (2003) 017204).

Observation of the conduction electron spin polarization in the Ag spacer of a Fe/Fg/Fe trilayer.

The spatially oscillating electron spin polarization in the Ag spacer of a 4 nm Fe/20 nmAg/4 nm Fe(001) epitaxial trilayer has been determined by means of low energy muon spin rotation. It oscillates with the same period as the interlayer exchange coupling, but shows a much weaker attenuation at large distances x from the interface. The measured magnetization profile from the inner 14 nm of the spacer is described by an oscillating polarization decaying as x(-0.8(1)). This unusual behavior may arise from a full confinement of electron states within the spacer.

Magnetism of thin chromium films studied with low-energy muon spin rotation

Low-energy muon spin rotation (LE-μ +SR) measurements were performed on 3.4 and 9.1 nm epitaxial Cr(0 0 1) films buried by non-magnetic boundary layers to study the collapse of the spin-density wave (SDW) of bulk Cr, which is expected when decreasing the thickness of the film below the modulation period of the SDW ( ≈6 nm ). Magnetic phases of Cr are identified by the fast relaxation of the muon spin polarization. While a reduced Néel temperature of 285 K with respect to the bulk value is found for the 9.1 nm Cr layer, the 3.4 nm film remains in a magnetic phase over the investigated temperature range of 20–320 K.

Temperature dependence of the magnetic penetration depth in an YBa 2Cu 3O 7− δ film

We report on low energy muon spin rotation (LE-μSR) measurements of the magnetic penetration depth λ ab of a 700 nm thick YBa 2Cu 3O 7− δ film. The temperature dependence of the penetration depth is in good agreement with the results from conventional μSR measurements on single crystals. This demonstrates the potential of the new technique for thin film studies.

Superparamagnetic relaxation in iron nanoclusters measured by low energy muon spin rotation

Low energy (16 keV) muons were used to probe the dynamic magnetic behaviour of iron nanoclusters embedded in a silver thin film matrix. The silver film was 500 nm thick and contained a volume fraction of 0.1% iron. Measurements were made in a field of 25 mT, applied normal to the plane of the film, in the temperature range 4.7 K to 300 K. At temperatures above 20 K thermal activation of the cluster moments was seen as a narrowing of the field distribution sensed by the implanted muons. An intrinsic cluster relaxation time of τ0 = 12 ± 4 ns and an activation energy of 51 ± 9 K were deduced from fits to the data. SQUID magnetometry of thicker (1.5 µm) but otherwise identical films on graphite substrates showed the clusters to have a volume of the order of 10-26 m3, from which a cubic anisotropy constant of K = 2.3 ± 0.4 × 105 J m-3 was calculated. Remanence measurements showed no evidence of a preferred orientation for the magnetization of the cluster assembly.