arXiv · 1605.06822
Epitaxially stabilized iron thin films via effective strain relief from steps
Abstract
We show a new way to stabilize epitaxial structures against transforming bulk stable phases for Fe thin films on a vicinal Cu(001) surface. Atomically-resolved observations by scanning tunneling microscopy reveal that high-density Cu steps serve as strain relievers for keeping epitaxially-stabilized Fe fcc(001) lattice even at a transient thickness towards the bulk stable bcc(110) lattice. Spectroscopic measurements further clarify the intrinsic electronic properties of the fcc Fe thin film in real space, implying electronic differences between 6 and 7 monolayer thick films induced by the modification of the lattice constant in the topmost layers.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
T. Miyamachi, S. Nakashima, S. Kim, N. Kawamura, Y. Tatetsu, Y. Gohda, S. Tsuneyuki, F. Komori. 2016-05-22. Epitaxially stabilized iron thin films via effective strain relief from steps. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.94.045439
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.