We have performed single-atom magnetization curve (SAMC) measurements and inelastic scanning tunneling spectroscopy (ISTS) on individual Fe atoms on a Cu(111) surface. The SAMCs show a broad distribution of magnetic moments with \unit[3.5]μB being the mean value. ISTS reveals a magnetization excitation with a lifetime of \unit[200]fsec which decreases by a factor of two upon application of a magnetic field of \unit[12]T. The experimental observations are quantitatively explained by the decay of the magnetization excitation into Stoner modes of the itinerant electron system as shown by newly developed theoretical modeling.
@article{arxiv.1010.1284,
title = {Itinerant Nature of Atom-Magnetization Excitation by Tunneling Electrons},
author = {Alexander Ako Khajetoorians and Samir Lounis and Bruno Chilian and Antonio T. Costa and Lihui Zhou and Douglas L. Mills and Jens Wiebe and Roland Wiesendanger},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1010.1284},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
3 Figures, Supplement not included, updated version after revision