Title: Magnetic properties of Co nanochains on the Cu(001) surface

Abstract:
Intense effort has been dedicated to the search of new magnetic nanomaterials, especially due to
their interesting properties at the nanoscopic scale. In particular, giant magnetoresistance (GMR) [1]
was observed in ferromagnetic granules deposited on nonmagnetic metal films, such as Co onto Cu
surfaces [2]. Later, it was proposed that the GMR in Co-Cu alloys originates from a quasi-periodic
lamellar distribution of Co in Cu [3], which was related to spinodal decomposition of segregated Co
[4]. The challenge is then to understand the origins of the GMR behavior in the Co-Cu system. In
this study, Co nanochains deposited on the Cu(001) surface are investigated using the Real Space
Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital in the Atomic Sphere Approximation (RS-LMTO-ASA) method [5,6]
within the Density Functional Theory (DFT) framework. We considered several nanowire
configurations, with different distances between chains and different numbers of Co constituent
atoms. The magnetic properties, such as the magneto-crystalline anisotropy energy (MAE),
exchange couplings and the magnetic moments (spin and orbital), of the studied structures are
discussed.
References:
[1] M. N. Baibich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 2472 (1988)
[2] P. M. Levy, Science 256, 972 (1992)
[3] M. N. Baibich et al., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 320, e29 (2008)
[4] M. G. M. Miranda et al., Phys. Rev. B 68, 014434 (2003)
[5] P. Peduto et al., Phys. Rev. B 44, 13283 (1991)
[6] S. Frota-Pessa, Phys. Rev. B 46, 14570 (1992)
Keywords: Giant magnetoresistance, nanowires, anisotropy energy, exchange coupling, magnetic
moments