Researchers from NIST and the Naval Research Laboratory have developed a new technique to introduce magnetic impurities into semiconductor crystals using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). This method allows for the selective implantation of individual atoms, enabling detailed studies of a material’s electrical and magnetic properties at the atomic level.
The technique could advance the development of spintronics, which uses electron spin rather than charge for information storage. Spintronics has the potential to improve electronic device performance while reducing power consumption and production costs. The research involved depositing single manganese atoms onto an indium arsenide surface and using the STM probe tip to dislodge indium atoms, allowing the manganese atoms to occupy their positions in the crystal lattice.
The researchers collaborated with theorists at the Naval Research Laboratory to model the atomic motions during the exchange process. By comparing the theoretical models with experimental STM findings, they identified the correct pathway for the exchange to occur. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research and the NIST-CNST/UMD-NanoCenter Cooperative Agreement, with computations performed at the Department of Defense Major Shared Resource Center at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2009/12/nist-researchers-put-new-spin-atomic-musical-chairs
Keywords: manganese, impurities, semiconductor, STM, lattice
