No Arabic abstract
Using a time-resolved detection scheme in scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) we measured element resolved ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) at microwave frequencies up to 10,GHz and a spatial resolution down to 20,nm at two different synchrotrons. We present different methods to separate the contribution of the background from the dynamic magnetic contrast based on the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) effect. The relative phase between the GHz microwave excitation and the X-ray pulses generated by the synchrotron, as well as the opening angle of the precession at FMR can be quantified. A detailed analysis for homogeneous and inhomogeneous magnetic excitations demonstrates that the dynamic contrast indeed behaves as the usual XMCD effect. The dynamic magnetic contrast in time-resolved STXM has the potential be a powerful tool to study the linear and non-linear magnetic excitations in magnetic micro- and nano-structures with unique spatial-temporal resolution in combination with element selectivity.
Control of local lattice perturbations near optically-active defects in semiconductors is a key step to harnessing the potential of solid-state qubits for quantum information science and nanoscale sensing. We report the development of a stroboscopic scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy approach for real-space imaging of dynamic strain used in correlation with microscopic photoluminescence measurements. We demonstrate this technique in 4H-SiC, which hosts long-lifetime room temperature vacancy spin defects. Using nano-focused X-ray photon pulses synchronized to a surface acoustic wave launcher, we achieve an effective time resolution of 100 ps at a 25 nm spatial resolution to map micro-radian dynamic lattice curvatures. The acoustically induced lattice distortions near an engineered scattering structure are correlated with enhanced photoluminescence responses of optically-active SiC quantum defects driven by local piezoelectric effects. These results demonstrate a unique route for directly imaging local strain in nanomechanical structures and quantifying dynamic structure-function relationships in materials under realistic operating conditions.
We investigate the thermoelastic response of a nanolayered sample composed of a metallic SrRuO3 (SRO) electrode sandwiched between a ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 (PZT) film with negative thermal expansion and a SrTiO3 substrate. SRO is rapidly heated by fs-laser pulses with 208 kHz repetition rate. Diffraction of x-ray pulses derived from a synchrotron measures the transient out-of-plane lattice constant c of all three materials simultaneously from 120 ps to 5 mus with a relative accuracy up to Delta c/c = 10^-6. The in-plane propagation of sound is essential for understanding the delayed out of plane expansion.
Experiments of time-resolved x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (Tr-XMCD) and resonant x-ray scattering at a beamline BL07LSU in SPring-8 with a time-resolution of under 50 ps are presented. A micro-channel plate is utilized for the Tr-XMCD measurements at nearly normal incidence both in the partial electron and total fluorescence yield (PEY and TFY) modes at the L2,3 absorption edges of the 3d transition-metals in the soft x-ray region. The ultrafast photo-induced demagnetization within 50 ps is observed on the dynamics of a magnetic material of FePt thin film, having a distinct threshold of the photon density. The spectrum in the PEY mode is less-distorted both at the L2,3 edges compared with that in the TFY mode and has the potential to apply the sum rule analysis for XMCD spectra in pump-probed experiments.
We have developed an application of a one-dimensional micro-strip detector for capturing x-ray diffraction data in pulsed magnetic fields. This detector consists of a large array of 50 mu m-wide Si strips with a full-frame read out at 20 kHz. Its use substantially improves data-collection efficiency and quality as compared to point detectors, because diffraction signals are recorded along an arc in reciprocal space in a time-resolved manner. By synchronizing with pulsed fields, the entire field dependence of a two-dimensional swath of reciprocal space may be determined using a small number of field pulses.
Piezoelectric nanowires are promising materials for sensing, actuation and energy harvesting, due to their enhanced properties at the nanoscale. However, quantitative characterization of piezoelectricity in nanomaterials is challenging due to practical limitations and the onset of additional electromechanical phenomena, such as the triboelectric and piezotronic effects. Here, we present an open-circuit conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) methodology for quantitative extraction of the axial piezoelectric coefficients of nanowires. We show, both theoretically and experimentally, that the standard short-circuit cAFM mode is inadequate for piezoelectric characterization of nanowires, and that such measurements are governed by competing mechanisms. We introduce an alternative open-circuit configuration, and employ time-resolved electromechanical measurements, to extract the piezoelectric coefficients. This method was applied to GaAs, an important semiconductor, with relatively low piezoelectric coefficients. The results obtained for GaAs,~0.4-1 pm/V, are in good agreement with existing knowledge and theory. Our method represents a significant advance in understanding the coexistence of different electromechanical effects, and in quantitative piezoelectric nanoscale characterization. The easy implementation will enable better understanding of electromechanics at the nanoscale.