Scanning Field Emission Microscopy with Spin and Energy Analysis

Abstract

Scanning Field Emission Microscopy with Polarization Analysis was recently introduced to detect the spin polarization of electrons excited in the field emission regime of Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy. In this work, a miniature electron energy analyzer, called Bessel Box, is implemented into the Scanning Field Emission Microscope with Polarization Analysis setup. It is used to filter electrons according to their energy before they reach the spin detector. The Bessel Box allows, e.g., the spin polarization of elastically scattered electrons to be compared with the spin polarization obtained with the full energy spectrum. We use this technology to measure the local in-plane polarization signal as a function of the magnetic field B at room temperature for 10 monolayers Fe deposited on top of a W(011)-single crystal surface through a half mask (half of the surface is covered with Fe, the other half is uncovered). The spin polarization at the Fe-W crossing drops sharply from 9 % above Fe to 0 % above W(011) only if the elastically scattered electrons are selected for spin analysis. The mechanism of signal generation in Scanning Field Emission Microscope with Polarization Analysis including the formation of cascade of inelastically scattered electrons is discussed as an explanation for the different spin polarization profiles observed with and without Bessel Box (energy filtered).