RESUMEN

In this paper, we present some specific chemical and magnetic order obtained very recently on characteristic bimetallic nanoalloys prepared by mass-selected Low Energy Cluster Beam Deposition (LECBD). We study how the competition between d-atom hybridization, complex structure, morphology and chemical affinity affects their intrinsic magnetic properties at the nanoscale. The structural and magnetic properties of these nanoalloys were investigated using various experimental techniques that include High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometry, as well as synchrotron techniques such as Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) and X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD). Depending on the chemical nature of the nanoalloys we observe different magnetic responses compared to their bulk counterparts. In particular, we show how specific relaxation in nanoalloys impacts their magnetic anisotropy; and how finite size effects (size reduction) inversely enhance their magnetic moment.

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RESUMEN

Sub-monolayer thin film morphologies obtained by deposition of size-selected CoxPt1-x clusters on graphite have been analyzed for different values of x. In all cases, the preformed clusters can easily diffuse on the surface and gather to form islands of clusters. By changing the cluster stoichiometry, very different morphologies can be obtained, going from large ramified islands to "bunches" of non-contacting incident clusters. We put into evidence that the introduction of platinum atoms in the incident particles drastically changes the interaction between clusters and offers the opportunity to control the coalescence process between them. In this way, by modifying the cluster reactivity, a local self-organization of size-selected magnetic nanoparticles can be achieved.

RESUMEN

The morphology and the electronic structure of a single focused ion-beam-induced artificial extended defect is probed by several methods including micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopies and Monte Carlo and/or semi-analytical simulation within standard codes. The efficiency of the artificial defect for deposited metallic cluster pinning is also investigated. We show a correlation between the ion dose, morphology, electronic structure and cluster trapping efficiency. At room temperature, cluster pinning is efficient when the displacement per atom is one or more. Well-ordered patterned cluster networks are considered for potential applications.