Physical Review Letters · 2008 · 84 citations · 17 references
Natural SciencesMaterials SciencePhysicsCondensed Matter PhysicsMaterials PhysicsSurface ScienceMagnetic NanomaterialsMagnetic Properties Of SolidsMagnetism In SolidsSpin-orbit CouplingSurface MagnetismSurface PhysicsAngle-resolved Photoemission SpectroscopyAtomic Number DependenceFermi SurfaceMonolayer FilmsSpin PolarizationSpin Polarization EffectsSpin-orbit SplittingSurface Spin Polarization
Spin-orbit coupling can give rise to spin-split electronic states without a ferromagnet or an external magnetic field. We create large spin-orbit splittings in a Au and Ag monolayer on W(110) and show that the size of the splitting does not depend on the atomic number of the Au or Ag overlayer but of the W substrate. Spin- and angle-resolved photoemission and Fermi-surface scans reveal that the overlayer states acquire spin polarization through spin-dependent overlayer-substrate hybridization.
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