Real-space visualization of intrinsic magnetic fields of an antiferromagnet

Yuji Kohno; Takehito Seki; Scott D. Findlay; Yuichi Ikuhara; Naoya Shibata

doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04254-z

Real-space visualization of intrinsic magnetic fields of an antiferromagnet

Yuji Kohno, Takehito Seki, Scott D. Findlay, Yuichi Ikuhara, Naoya Shibata

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Characterizing magnetic structures down to atomic dimensions is central to the design and control of nanoscale magnetism in materials and devices. However, real-space visualization of magnetic fields at such dimensions has been extremely challenging. In recent years, atomic-resolution differential phase contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (DPC STEM)¹ has enabled direct imaging of electric field distribution even inside single atoms². Here we show real-space visualization of magnetic field distribution inside antiferromagnetic haematite (α-Fe₂O₃) using atomic-resolution DPC STEM in a magnetic-field-free environment³. After removing the phase-shift component due to atomic electric fields and improving the signal-to-noise ratio by unit-cell averaging, real-space visualization of the intrinsic magnetic fields in α-Fe₂O₃ is realized. These results open a new possibility for real-space characterization of many magnetic structures.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	234-239
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature
Volume	602
Issue number	7896
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04254-z
Publication status	Published - 10 Feb 2022

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title = "Real-space visualization of intrinsic magnetic fields of an antiferromagnet",

abstract = "Characterizing magnetic structures down to atomic dimensions is central to the design and control of nanoscale magnetism in materials and devices. However, real-space visualization of magnetic fields at such dimensions has been extremely challenging. In recent years, atomic-resolution differential phase contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (DPC STEM)1 has enabled direct imaging of electric field distribution even inside single atoms2. Here we show real-space visualization of magnetic field distribution inside antiferromagnetic haematite (α-Fe2O3) using atomic-resolution DPC STEM in a magnetic-field-free environment3. After removing the phase-shift component due to atomic electric fields and improving the signal-to-noise ratio by unit-cell averaging, real-space visualization of the intrinsic magnetic fields in α-Fe2O3 is realized. These results open a new possibility for real-space characterization of many magnetic structures.",

author = "Yuji Kohno and Takehito Seki and Findlay, {Scott D.} and Yuichi Ikuhara and Naoya Shibata",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the JST SENTAN grant number JPMJSN14A1, Japan. A part of this work was supported by the JSPS KAKENHI grant numbers 20H05659, 19H05788 and 17H06094. A part of this work was supported by the Research Hub for Advanced Nano Characterization, The University of Tokyo, under the support of {\textquoteleft}Nanotechnology Platform{\textquoteright} by MEXT, Japan (grant number JPMXP09A21UT0259). We also thank the Corporate Sponsored Research Program {\textquoteleft}Next generation electron microscopy{\textquoteright}, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. T.S. acknowledges support from JST-PRESTO (JPMJPR21AA), JSPS KAKENHI grant number 20K15014, and the Kazato Research Foundation. This research was partly supported under the Discovery Projects funding scheme of the Australian Research Council (project numbers DP160102338 and FT190100619). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

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AU - Shibata, Naoya

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the JST SENTAN grant number JPMJSN14A1, Japan. A part of this work was supported by the JSPS KAKENHI grant numbers 20H05659, 19H05788 and 17H06094. A part of this work was supported by the Research Hub for Advanced Nano Characterization, The University of Tokyo, under the support of ‘Nanotechnology Platform’ by MEXT, Japan (grant number JPMXP09A21UT0259). We also thank the Corporate Sponsored Research Program ‘Next generation electron microscopy’, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. T.S. acknowledges support from JST-PRESTO (JPMJPR21AA), JSPS KAKENHI grant number 20K15014, and the Kazato Research Foundation. This research was partly supported under the Discovery Projects funding scheme of the Australian Research Council (project numbers DP160102338 and FT190100619). Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

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N2 - Characterizing magnetic structures down to atomic dimensions is central to the design and control of nanoscale magnetism in materials and devices. However, real-space visualization of magnetic fields at such dimensions has been extremely challenging. In recent years, atomic-resolution differential phase contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (DPC STEM)1 has enabled direct imaging of electric field distribution even inside single atoms2. Here we show real-space visualization of magnetic field distribution inside antiferromagnetic haematite (α-Fe2O3) using atomic-resolution DPC STEM in a magnetic-field-free environment3. After removing the phase-shift component due to atomic electric fields and improving the signal-to-noise ratio by unit-cell averaging, real-space visualization of the intrinsic magnetic fields in α-Fe2O3 is realized. These results open a new possibility for real-space characterization of many magnetic structures.

AB - Characterizing magnetic structures down to atomic dimensions is central to the design and control of nanoscale magnetism in materials and devices. However, real-space visualization of magnetic fields at such dimensions has been extremely challenging. In recent years, atomic-resolution differential phase contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (DPC STEM)1 has enabled direct imaging of electric field distribution even inside single atoms2. Here we show real-space visualization of magnetic field distribution inside antiferromagnetic haematite (α-Fe2O3) using atomic-resolution DPC STEM in a magnetic-field-free environment3. After removing the phase-shift component due to atomic electric fields and improving the signal-to-noise ratio by unit-cell averaging, real-space visualization of the intrinsic magnetic fields in α-Fe2O3 is realized. These results open a new possibility for real-space characterization of many magnetic structures.

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Real-space visualization of intrinsic magnetic fields of an antiferromagnet

Abstract

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Precise atomic-scale structure determination in thick nanostructures

Nanoscale field mapping in functional materials

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