Spin Excitations of Individual Fe Atoms on Pt(111): Impact of the Site-Dependent Giant Substrate Polarization

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.157204
• Publication Date: 2013-10-09T15:27:34Z
• Authors: A. A. Khajetoorians; T. Schlenk; B. Schweflinghaus; M. dos Santos Dias; M. Steinbrecher; M. Bouhassoune; S. Lounis; J. Wiebe; R. Wiesendanger
• Keywords: info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/550; Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics; 0103 physical sciences; Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall); FOS: Physical sciences; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology; 01 natural sciences

We demonstrate using inelastic scanning tunneling spectroscopy and simulations based on density functional theory that the amplitude sign of magnetic anisotropy energy for a single Fe atom adsorbed onto Pt(111) surface can be manipulated by modifying adatom binding site. Since magnitude measured is remarkably small, up to an order smaller than previously reported, electron-hole excitations are weak thus spin excitation exhibits long lived precessional lifetimes compared values found same noble metal surfaces.