Structural investigation and magnetic properties of oxygen adsorption on ultrathin Fe(110) film

Abstract We have investigated oxygen induced surface structures on Fe(110) thin film and their magnetic properties using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and surface magneto-optic Kerr effect (SMOKE). We have determined two chemisorbed structures, p(2 × 2) at 0.25 monolayer (ML) and p(3 × 2) at 0.33 ML using a dynamical LEED analysis. We found that oxygen atoms adsorb in long bridge sites on p(2 × 2) and move to three fold hollow sites on p(3 × 2) due to a steric repulsion. During chemisorption, proceeding the formation of FeO, the topmost surface of Fe film is ferromagnetic and with further oxygen adsorption the surface loses ferromagnetism in accordance with the oxide formation.