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In this work, we investigate the effect of anti-site disorder on the half-metallic properties of a Mn2FeAl Heusler alloy thin film. The film was grown on TiN-buffered MgO 001 substrates via magnetron sputtering. A detailed structural characterization using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and anomalous XRD showed that the film crystallizes in the partially disordered L21 B structure with 33% disorder between the Mn(B) and Al(D) sites. We measure a positive anisotropic magnetoresistance in the film, which is an indication of non-half metallic behaviour. Our x-ray magnetic circular dichroism sum rules analysis shows that Mn carries the magnetic moment in the film, with a positive Fe moment. Experimentally determined moments correspond most closely with those found by density functional calculated for the L21 B structure with Mn(B) and Al(D) site disorder, matching the experimental structural analysis. We thus attribute the deviation from half-metallic behaviour to the formation of the L21 B structure. To realize a half-metallic Mn2FeAl film it is important that the inverse Heusler XA structure is stabilized with minimal anti-site atomic disorder.

Objective: Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are surgically challenging tumors. Due to the tumor adherence to the cochlear and the facial nerves, gross total resection is difficult. As the debate regarding the best position used for tumor resection – lateral decubitus vs semi-sitting position –[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 71. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), 9. Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie

Objective: Intraoperative Optical Imaging (IOI) is a marker free and non-invasive imaging technique that can be utilized for visualization of metabolic changes within the cerebral cortex. In the past, we used the technique for the identification of functional brain areas while the patients were under[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 71. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), 9. Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie

We present a study of the dynamic magnetic properties of TiN-buffered epitaxial thin films of the Heusler alloy Fe$_{1.5}$CoGe. Thickness series annealed at different temperatures are prepared and the magnetic damping is measured, a lowest value of $\alpha=2.18\times 10^{-3}$ is obtained. The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy properties in Fe$_{1.5}$CoGe/MgO are also characterized. The evolution of the interfacial perpendicular anisotropy constant $K^{\perp}_{\rm S}$ with the annealing temperature is shown and compared with the widely used CoFeB/MgO interface. A large volume contribution to the perpendicular anisotropy of $(4.3\pm0.5)\times 10^{5}$ $\rm J/m^3$ is also found, in contrast with vanishing bulk contribution in common Co- and Fe-based Heusler alloys., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

In magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), it was theoretically predicted that magnetization dynamics can be induced by thermal gradients via thermal-spin transfer torques (T-STTs), similar to STTs induced by applied voltages[1]. We recently proposed an approach based on microresonators (µR) in order to detect T-STT terms acting on the free layer of an MTJ device by means of investigating the ferromagnetic response of an MTJ exposed to a cw laser in open-circuit conditions. The linewidth of the ferromagnetic signal is modified by the damping-like torque induced by thermal gradient, while the frequency is subject to changes induced by the field-like torque[2]. Here, we used COMSOL simulations to determine the temperature profile of Co2FeAl/MgO/CoFeB MTJs, when the MR structure is considered, see Fig 1. In this design, the structure is defined with laterally larger Co2FeAl (CFA) layer below CoFeB (CFB) layer. This allows for the laser beam to be focused on the CFA layer surface, in order to heat the bottom electrode of the MTJ rather than the top, as commonly investigated[3-6]. The temperature of both layers and temperature differences (ΔT) as a function of lateral width are shown in Fig 2. The temperature on the CFA layer decreases laterally about 25K towards to center of the structure and yields a ΔT over the barrier of about 680mK, if a gold pad is placed on the CFA layer, in the position where the laser is shined on (Fig 2). Without the gold pad and leaving the MgO on the CFA unpatterned, the ΔT over the barrier is reduced almost by factor of 2, and is estimated to be around 320mK and 270mK respectively. When both layers have gold contacts, ΔT drops to 20mK (Fig 2). Consequently, the magnitude and the sign of ΔT over the barrier can be engineered by appropriately designing the design of the device, which would allow for T-STTs induced by thermal gradients of different sign to be investigated experimentally in a single MTJ. *Figure 1 2D sketch of an MTJ structure considered for COMSOL modelling, where the loop of µR was taken into account and only the bottom layer is exposed to the laser. *Figure 2 Temperature profile of the MTJ versus lateral size, ΔT dependence on designed structure. References [1] Jia X, Xia K and Bauer G E W 2011 Phys. Rev. Lett.107 176603 [2] H. Cansever, R. Narkowicz, K. Lenz, C. Fowley, L. Ramasubramanian, O. Yildirim, A. Niesen, T. Huebner, G. Reiss, J. Lindner, J. Fassbender, A. M. Deac, 2018 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 51 22400 [3] N. Liebing, S. Serrano-Guisan, K. Rott, G. Reiss, J. Langer, B. Ocker, H. W. Schumacher, 2011, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 177201. [4] J. C. Leutenantsmeyer, M. Walter, V. Zbarsky, M. Münzenberg, R. Gareev, K. Rott, A. Thomas, G. Reiss, P. Peretzki, H. Schuhmann, M. Seibt, M. Czerner, C. Heiliger, 2013, Spin 3, 1350002. [5] A. Boehnke, M. Milnikel, M. Ehe, C. Franz, V. Zbarsky, M. Czerner, K. Rott, A. Thomas, C. Heiliger, G. Reiss, M. Münzenberg, 2015, Sci. Rep. 5, 8945. [6] H. Cansever, J. Lindner, T. Huebner, A. Niesen, G. Reiss, J. Fassbender, A. M. Deac, 2019, IEEE Trans.Magn. 51(17) Early Access

Antiferromagnetic materials as active components in spintronic devices promise insensitivity against external magnetic fields, the absence of own magnetic stray fields, and ultrafast dynamics at the picosecond time scale. Materials with certain crystal-symmetry show an intrinsic N��el-order spin-orbit torque that can efficiently switch the magnetic order of an antiferromagnet. The tetragonal variant of CuMnAs was shown to be electrically switchable by this intrinsic spin-orbit effect and its use in memory cells with memristive properties has been recently demonstrated for high-quality films grown with molecular beam epitaxy. Here, we demonstrate that the magnetic order of magnetron-sputtered CuMnAs films can also be manipulated by electrical current pulses. The switching efficiency and relaxation as a function of temperature, current density, and pulse width can be described by a thermal-activation model. Our findings demonstrate that CuMnAs can be fabricated with an industry-compatible deposition technique, which will accelerate the development cycle of devices based on this remarkable material., 6 + 4 pages, 4 + 4 figures (main + appendix)

Similar to electrical currents flowing through magnetic multilayers [1,2], thermal gradients applied across the barrier of a magnetic tunnel junction may induce pure spin currents and generate ‘thermal’ spin-transfer torques large enough to induce magnetization dynamics on the free layer [3, 4]. The relation of spin current, charge current and heat current was theoretically described by Bauer et al. using Onsager’s reciprocity rule [5]. According to Onsager’s law, spin currents can be produced by bias voltages or thermal gradients and investigated in terms of spin-Seebeck effect in magnetic multilayers. First, Hatami et al. theoretically studied the spin-Seebeck effect in spin-valves and introduced the concept of thermal spin-transfer torques. They predicted that the thermally induced spin current creates an imbalance on the interface between non-magnetic and ferromagnetic layers due to collisions (electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions) [3]. Thermal spin-transfer torques were studied experimentally within asymmetric Co/Cu/Co nanowire spin-valves which exhibit switching field changes under varying a.c. currents causing Joule heating [6]. In magnetic tunnel junctions, it was theoretically predicted that temperature differences of around 10 K over an ultrathin barrier (1 nm) can create magnetization dynamics in Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions [4]. The spin-Seebeck effect has been studied on CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions using different heating methods such as Joule heating, heating with Peltier elements, as well as laser heating [8-14]. Recently, it was shown that using Co2FeAl as a reference layer improves tunneling magneto-Seebeck (TMS) in magnetic tunnel junctions [7]. Here, we describe a novel experimental approach and setup to observe effects of thermal gradients within magnetic tunnel junctions with Heusler compounds by using the microresonator ferromagnetic resonance (µR-FMR) method under laser heating. Initially, microresonators (shown in figure 1) were introduced by Narkowicz et al. for electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments to achieve optimal sensitivity for small objects [8]. Detecting the FMR signal of nano- to micron-sized samples in conventional cavities (cm3) is not possible, due to the too small ferromagnetic volume, and therefore low filling factor. A planar microresonator, by definition, is a two-dimensional structure, its diameter can be tailored to match the order of the sample’s size (shown as a black ellipse in the microresonator loop in figure 1). Two stubs are attached to the inductive loop. The capacitive radial stub in first approximation may be viewed as an element to tune the loop to the operation frequency, while the rectangular stub matches the structure to the 50 Ω impedance of the microstrip feedline. Figure 1: Layout of a planar microresonator with simulated electric field distribution at the resonance frequency. The inset shows the current and magnetic field distribution (out-of-plane direction) in the loop containing a sample (black ellipse). We investigated magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) fabricated out of Co2FeAl/MgO/CoFeB stacks. The sample and microresonator fabrication consist of multiple steps of lithography, ion etching and lift-off processes. The sample is finally patterned into a 6x9 µm2 elliptical shape using electron beam lithography (EBL) and ion beam etching is used to etch down the sample to the substrate. Microresonators are then fabricated around the sample using UV lithography. For laser heating, a continuous-wave (CW) laser at 532 nm wavelength and with tunable power up to 33 mW is focused on the sample. “Hot-FMR” measurements were performed on unpatterned multilayers between 300 K and 450 K (figure 2) to understand the effect of global heating. It is clearly seen that the FMR signal of Co2FeAl exhibits a shift with increasing temperature. As seen in the inset graph, it is difficult to quantify the changes for the CoFeB signal, due to its small intensity. Subsequent, measurements in the presence of a thermal gradient were performed on 6x9 µm2 MTJs, integrated into microresonator loops with an inner diameter of 20 µm. The MTJs were submitted to laser irradiation, up to a maximum power of 33 mW. Unlike the Hot-FMR measurements, the resonance field and linewidth did not show clear changes with increasing laser power. The results suggest that the laser power is neither sufficient to induce magnetization dynamics via thermal gradients across the barrier, nor lead to significant changes of the magnetic parameters due to global heating of the sample. Figure 2: FMR spectra of the extended films of Co2FeAl / MgO / CoFeB measured in the in-plane direction at different temperatures As a conclusion, the effect of a global temperature change on the resonance frequency and linewidth of Co2FeAl was analyzed. With regards to the µR-FMR results, higher laser power is needed to induce magnetization dynamics. Moreover, the lateral heat transport might reduce the vertical thermal gradients, thus similar measurements on smaller structures are required. This study was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) via priority program SpinCaT (SPP 1538). We thank H. Schultheiss for helping with the optical part of the experimental setup and S. Zhou for giving the access to the VSM setup. [1] J.C. Slonczewski, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 159, L1, (1996). [2] L. Berger, Phys. Rev. B 54, 9353, (1996). [3] M. Hatami, G.E.W. Bauer, Q. Zhang and P.J. Kelly, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 066603 (2007). [4] X. Jia, K. Xia and G.E.W. Bauer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 176603 (2011). [5] G.E.W. Bauer, E. Saitoh and B.J. van Wees, Nature Mater. 11, 391, (2012). [6] H. Yu, S. Granville, D.P. Yu and J.-Ph. Ansermet, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 146601 (2010). [7] A. Boehnke, U. Martens, C. Sterwerf, A. Niesen, T. Huebner, M. von der Ehe, M. Meinert, T. Kuschel, A. Thomas, C. Heiliger, M. Münzenberg M, Nature Communications 8,(1),1626, (2017). [8] R. Narkowicz, D. Suter and R. Stonies, J. Magn. Reson.175, 275 (2005).

Anatomische Modelle sind in der medizinischen Ausbildung eine unverzichtbare Ergänzung der Lehre. Immer häufiger werden dafür digitale Modelle verwendet. Der Bedarf an 3D-Modellen mit hoher Detailauflösung wird in Zukunft größer. Bereits vorhandene kommerzielle Modelle [zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL], Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung (GMA) und des Arbeitskreises zur Weiterentwicklung der Lehre in der Zahnmedizin (AKWLZ)

We fabricated NiFe$_\textrm{2}$O$_\textrm{x}$ thin films on MgAl$_2$O$_4$(001) substrates by reactive dc magnetron co-sputtering varying the oxygen partial pressure during deposition. The fabrication of a variable material with oxygen deficiency leads to controllable electrical and optical properties which would be beneficial for the investigations of the transport phenomena and would, therefore, promote the use of such materials in spintronic and spin caloritronic applications. We used several characterization techniques in order to investigate the film properties, focusing on their structural, magnetic, electrical, and optical properties. From the electrical resistivity measurements we obtained the conduction mechanisms that govern the systems in high and low temperature regimes, extracting low thermal activation energies which unveil extrinsic transport mechanisms. The thermal activation energy decreases in the less oxidized samples revealing the pronounced contribution of a large amount of electronic states localized in the band gap to the electrical conductivity. Hall effect measurements showed the mixed-type semiconducting character of our films. The optical band gaps were determined via ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. They follow a similar trend as the thermal activation energy, with lower band gap values in the less oxidized samples.

We present x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity (XRMR) as a very sensitive tool to detect proximity induced interface spin polarization in Pt/FM heterostructures. Different XRMR experiments are carried out and the results are evaluated for their dependence on the magneto-optical depth profile, the photon energy, the optical parameters, and the ferromagnetic material. We demonstrate that a detailed analysis of the reflected x-ray intensity gives insight into the spatial distribution of the spin polarization of a nonmagnetic metal across the interface to a ferromagnetic layer. The evaluation of the experimental results with simulations based on optical data from ab initio calculations provides the induced magnetic moment per Pt atom in the spin-polarized volume adjacent to the ferromagnet. For a series with different ferromagnetic materials consisting of Pt/Fe, Pt/Ni$_{33}$Fe$_{67}$, Pt/Ni$_{81}$Fe$_{19}$ (permalloy), and Pt/Ni bilayers we find the largest spin polarization in Pt/Fe and a much smaller magnetic proximity effect in Pt/Ni. Additional XRMR experiments with varying photon energy are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions for the energy dependence of the magneto-optical parameters and allow identifying the optical dispersion δ and absorption β across the PtL$_3$-absorption edge.

We investigated structural, magnetic and electrical properties of sputter deposited Mn-Fe-Ga compounds. The crystallinity of the Mn-Fe-Ga thin films was confirmed using x-ray diffraction. X-ray reflection and atomic force microscopy measurements were utilized to investigate the surface properties, roughness, thickness and density of the deposited Mn-Fe-Ga. Depending on the stoichiometry, as well as the used substrates (SrTiO3 (001) and MgO (001)) or buffer layer (TiN) the Mn-Fe-Ga crystallizes in the cubic or the tetragonally distorted phase. Anomalous Hall effect and alternating gradient magnetometry measurements confirmed strong perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Low saturation magnetization and hard magnetic behavior was reached by tuning the composition. Temperature dependent anomalous Hall effect measurements in a closed cycle He-cryostat showed a slight increase in coercivity with decreasing temperature (300K to 2K). TiN buffered Mn2.7Fe0.3Ga revealed sharper switching of the magnetization compared to the unbuffered layers.