Professor Thorsten Hesjedal FInstP

Abstract:

© 2002 IEEE. Epitaxial MnAs films on GaAs are of interest as ferromagnetic layers suitable for spin injection into semiconductors. Recent studies revealed that the phase transition near room temperature from the paramagnetic orthorhombic β phase above 40°C to the ferromagnetic hexagonal α phase below 40°C is of crucial importance for the structural and magnetic properties of the films. In this paper we report about ordered structures of the coexisting phases as a result of epitaxial strain and demonstrate the strong coupling between the magnetic order and the two-phase system.

Abstract:

We present measurements of surface acoustic wave (SAW) scattering from single dots, periodic and locally disturbed two-dimensional dot arrays. By using the scanning acoustic force microscope (SAFM), SAW fields of arbitrary polarization can be imaged with submicron spatial resolution and sub-Å wave amplitude sensitivity. The influence of a wavelength-sized single dot on SAW diffraction is studied. Forward- and back-scattered wave components can be imaged by insonifying the dot with a pump and a probe beam under different angles. SAW diffraction images of a regular dot array reveal a wavefield that is localized around the dots. In case of a disturbed scattering array, the localized SAW pattern vanishes in the vicinity of the distortion.

Abstract:

We present an experimental method for the high-resolution imaging of the excitation and propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) on anisotropic piezoelectric substrates. By employing a scanning acoustic force microscope (SAFM), we are able to image acoustic waves that are excitable by a single circular electrode pair source through the mixing with well-defined reference plane waves. We show amplitude and phase images of the point-source wave field, containing the angular dependence of the phase velocity of these modes, as well as their electromechanical coupling strength. The SAFM allows easy access to acoustic material properties, which are important for the design of commercial SAW devices. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.