Fabrication of monodirectional nanowires on Ge(110) and their spintronic applications

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13678
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Thin film/Surface and interfacial physical properties
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: YAMADA Yoichi 筑波大学, 数理物質系, 講師 (20435598)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 境 誠司 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 高崎量子応用研究所 東海量子ビーム応用研究センター, 上席研究員(定常) (10354929)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: Ge / ナノワイヤー / 単原子層物質 / スピン編極 / PMA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We fabricated monodirectional nanowires of the hybrid structure of ultra-thin Ge and heavy metals, utilizing the unique surface structure of Ge(110). This nanowire consists of ultrathin Ge sheet at the surface and the metal atoms incorporated in the subsurface region. Since the ultrathin Ge layer is known to host an enhanced spin-orbit coupling, this nanowire is useful in the application to the spintronics devices. In order to understand the spin-related interaction between ultrathin Ge layer and the subsurface metals, we performed basic studies using model systems. We especially focused on the interface of the well-defined monolayer materials and magnetic heavy atoms. We have found that, even at the weakly-interacting interface such as h-BN-Co and graphene-LSMO interfaces, spin-related interaction is significant. We demonstrated the induction of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) on magnetic atoms or spin polarization in monolayer materials at the interface.

Free Research Field

表面科学