Magnetic Anisotropy of Fe Film on Epitaxial Graphene

Chih-Heng Huang^1,2*, Tzu-Hung Chuang², Chun-I Lu², Yao-Jui Chan³, Der-Hsin Wei², Chien-Chen Kuo^1,3

¹International PhD Program for Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
²National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan
³Physics Department, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

* Presenter:Chih-Heng Huang, email:windwalker129@gmail.com

Graphene has been investigated for many years for its many special properties, and among them magnetism of graphene-metallic layered structure is expected to be a building brick of spintronic devices, hence attracted much attention. While theoretical predictions gave us high hopes, due to the nature of heterointerface between graphene and metallic layers, the interaction between metallic layers and graphene is yet unclear.
Here we try to answer our question by exploring the electronic, lattice and magnetic properties of Fe grown on graphene. Graphene was in-situ grown on Pt(111) via CVD, for Pt(111) is known to have weak interaction with graphene, leaving graphene sheet nearly free-standing. Lattice structure was probed with LEED, as well as electronic and magnetic structure were probed with MOKE and XPEEM, all done at TLS 05B2 station. Combined these data we confirmed that Fe deposited on graphene will form clusters, and will be ferromagnetic at above 16ML at room temperature. In-plane magnetic anisotropy was found with a preferred orientation, in well corresponding to magnetic domains that were resolved via XPEEM.

Keywords: Graphene, Thin-film Magnetism, XMCD