Abstract
The recent development at the Paul Scherrer Institute of a beam of low energy muons allows depth dependent muon spin rotation and relaxation investigations in thin samples, multilayers and near surface regions (low energy μSR, LE-μSR). After a brief overview of the LE-μSR method, some representative experiments performed with this technique will be presented. The first direct determination of the field profile just below the surface of a high-temperature superconductor in the Meissner phase illustrates the power and sensitivity of low energy muons as near-surface probe and is an example of general application to depth profiling of magnetic fields. The evolution of the flux line lattice distribution across the surface of a YBa2Cu3O7 film in the vortex phase has been investigated by implanting muons on both sides of a normal-superconducting boundary. A determination of the relaxation time and energy barrier to thermal activation in iron nanoclusters, embedded in a silver thin film matrix (500nm), demonstrates the use of slow muons to measure the properties of samples that cannot be made thick enough for the use of conventional μSR. Other experiments investigated the magnetic properties of thin Cr(001) layers at thicknesses above and below the collapse of the spin density wave.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Morenzoni, E., In: S. Lee et al. (eds), Physics and Applications of Low Energy Muons, Muon Science, IOP Publishing, Bristol, 1999.
Harshman, D. R. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 56 (1986), 2850.
Morenzoni, E., Kottmann, F., Maden, D., Matthias, B., Meyberg, M., Prokscha, Th., utzke, Th. and Zimmermann, U., Phys. Rev. Lett. 72 (1994), 2793.
Morenzoni, E., Prokscha, Th., Hofer, A., Matthias, B., Meyberg, M., Wutzke, Th., Birke, M., Glückler, H., Litterst, J., Niedermayer, Ch. and Schatz, G., J. Appl. Phys. 81 (1997), 3340.
Prokscha, T., Morenzoni, E., David, C., Hofer, A., Glückler, H. and Scandella, A., Appl. Surf. Sci. 172 (2001), 235.
Niedermayer, Ch., Forgan, E. M., Glückler, H., Hofer, A., Morenzoni, E., Pleines, M., Prokscha, T., Riseman, T. M., Birke, M., Jackson, T. J., Litterst, J., Long, M. W., Luetkens, H., Schatz, A. and Schatz, G., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 (1999), 3932.
Rainford, B. D. and Daniel, G. J., Hyp. Interact. 87 (1994), 1129; Riseman, T. M. and Forgan, E. M., Phys. B 289/290 (2000), 716.
Eckstein, W., Computer Simulations of Ion-Solid Interactions, Springer, Berlin, 1991.
Glückler, H., Morenzoni, E., Prokscha, T., Birke, M., Forgan, E. M., Hofer, A., Jackson, T. J., Litterst, J., Luetkens, H., Niedermayer, Ch., Pleines, M., Riseman, T.M. and Schatz, G., Phys. B 289/290 (2000), 658.
Sidorenko, A. D., Smilga, V. P. and Fesenko, V. I., Hyp. Interact. 63 (1990), 49.
Jackson, T. J., Riseman, T. M., Forgan, E. M., Glückler, H., Prokscha, T., Morenzoni, E., Pleines, M., Niedermayer, Ch., Schatz, G., Luetkens, H. and Litterst, J., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 (2000), 4958.
London, F. and London, H., Proc. Roy. Soc. London A 149 (1935), 71.
Hardy, W. N. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 70 (1993), 3999.
Sonier, J. E. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 72 (1994), 774.
Pippard, A. B., Proc. Roy. Soc. London A 216 (1953), 547.
Halbritter, J., Z. Phys. 243 (1971), 201.
Jackson, T. J., Binns, C., Forgan, E. M., Morenzoni, E., Niedermayer, Ch., Glückler, H., Hofer, A., Luetkens, H., Prokscha, T., Riseman, T.M., Schatz, A., Birke, M., Litterst, J., Schatz, G. and Weber, H. P., J. Phys. Condens. Matter 12 (2000), 1399.
Jacobs, I. S. and Bean, C. P., Fine particles, thin films and exchange anisotropy, In: G. T. Rado and H. Suhl (eds), Magnetism, Vol. III, Academic Press, New York, 1963, p. 271.
Baker, S. H. et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68 (1997), 1853.
Uemura, Y. J. et al., Phys. Rev. B 31 (1985), 546.
Edmonds, K. W. et al., Phys. Rev. B 60 (1999), 472.
Meersschaut, J. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75 (1995), 1638.
Zabel, H., J. Phys. Condens. Matter 11 (1999), 9303.
Fullerton, E. E. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75 (1995), 330.
Luetkens, H., Korecki, J., Glückler, H., Morenzoni, E., Prokscha, T., Schatz, A., Birke, M., Forgan, E., Handke, B., Hofer, A., Jackson, T. J., Kubik, M., Litterst, F. J., Niedermayer, Ch., Pleines, M., Riseman, T. M., Schatz, G., Slezak, T. and Weber, H. P., Phys. B 289/290 (2000), 326.
Mibu, K. et al., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 198–199 (1999), 689.
Demuynck, S., Meersschaut, J., Dekoster, J., Swinnen, B., Moons, R., Vantomme, A., Cottenier, S. and Rots, M., Phys. Rev. Lett. 81 (1998), 2562.
Nieuwenhuys, G. J., Morenzoni, E., Hesselberth, M. B. S., Galli, F., Mydosh, J. A., Glückler, H., Prokscha, T., Khasanov, R., Luetkens, H., Niedermayer, C. and Pleines, M., PSI Scientific Report, 1999.
Foroughi, F., Morenzoni, E. and Prokscha, T., PSI proposal, August 2000.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Morenzoni, E., Forgan, E.M., Glückler, H. et al. Muon Spin Rotation and Relaxation Experiments on Thin Films. Hyperfine Interactions 133, 179–195 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012268825876
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012268825876