Control of the asymmetric band structure in Mn2Au by a ferromagnetic driver layer

• Hard x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals the momentum-resolved band structure in an epitaxial Mn2Au(001) film capped by a 2-nm-thick ferromagnetic permalloy layer. By magnetizing the permalloy capping layer, the exceptionally strong exchange bias aligns the Néel vector in the Mn2Au(001) film accordingly. Uncompensated interface Mn magnetic moments in Mn2Au were identified as the origin of the exchange bias using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism in combination with photoelectron emission microscopy. Using time-of-flight momentum microscopy, we measure the asymmetry of the band structure, E(k)≠E(-k), in Mn2Au resulting from the homogeneous orientation of the Néel vector. Comparison with theory shows that the Néel vector, determined by the magnetic moment of the top Mn layer, is antiparallel to the permalloy magnetization. The experimental results demonstrate that hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy can measure the band structure of epitaxial layers beneath a metallic capping layer and corroborate the asymmetric band structure in Mn2Au that was previously inferred only indirectly.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

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art (subject category)