Spin and Momentum Mapping of Highly Oriented Spinterfaces.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41312622.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04710 and PMC identifier 12874631.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Structurally defined interfaces between magnetic substrates and molecular layers, so-called <i>spinterfaces</i>, represent a critical frontier in the design of spin-functional devices. Here, we show that long-range molecular order enables coherent Umklapp scattering of spin-polarized substrate electrons, modifying the spin-resolved electronic structure at the interface. Using spin-resolved momentum microscopy and photoemission tomography, we compare iron (FePc) and metal-free phthalocyanine (H<sub>2</sub>Pc) monolayers assembled on an oxygen-passivated iron surface. We find that both molecular lattices give rise to distinct Umklapp replicas of the substrate valence bands. By selectively probing the momentum space, we demonstrate that spin polarization near normal emission is predominantly governed by scattering rather than direct contributions from possibly spin-polarized molecular orbitals. This work underscores the intricate relationship between structural order and spin functionality, providing valuable insights into engineering spinterfaces.