Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film with a fine magnetic tip sensitive to a well-defined magnetization component
H. Matsuyama,
D. Nara,
R. Kageyama,
K. Honda,
T. Sato,
K. Kusanagi,
E. Srinivasan,
K. Koike
Affiliations
H. Matsuyama
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
D. Nara
Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
R. Kageyama
Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
K. Honda
Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
T. Sato
Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
K. Kusanagi
Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
E. Srinivasan
Creative Research Institution (CRIS), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021, Japan
K. Koike
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
We developed a micrometer-sized magnetic tip integrated onto the write head of a hard disk drive for spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) in the modulated tip magnetization mode. Using SP-STM, we measured a well-defined in-plane spin-component of the tunneling current of the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film. The spin asymmetry of the NiFe film was about 1.3% within the bias voltage range of -3 to 1 V. We obtained the local spin component image of the sample surface, switching the magnetic field of the sample to reverse the sample magnetization during scanning. We also obtained a spin image of the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film evaporated on the recording medium of a hard disk drive.
