Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of europium films

Abstract: Raw data used for the manuscript: "Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Europium films epitaxially grown on W(110)" published in Physical Review B. This study presents a detailed spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) analysis on the structural, electronic and magnetic properties on Europium (Eu) films epitaxially grown on a W(110) substrate. Utilizing optimized growth parameters, we conduct a thickness-dependent series ranging from the sub-monolayer regime to films as thick as 650 AL. Atomically resolved STM images of a 130 AL Eu film unveil lateral periodic sequences of bcc(110)-ordered dislocation lines sandwiched between adjacent hcp(0001) segments, effectively relieving stress within the films. These dislocation lines exhibit a periodicity of p_topo = (3.36 ± 0.11) nm. Tunneling spectroscopy reveals that the surface of Eu films hosts a pronounced double-peak structure at about U_bias ≈ +0.30 V and ≈ +0.48 V, corresponding to unoccupied sample states. It is interpreted as an exchange-split dz^2-like surface state which remains robust even within the bcc(110) structure of the dislocation lines. Magnetically sensitive data reveal a spin spiral with a surface periodicity of p_mag = (2.76 ± 0.19) nm. The results are discussed in terms of bulk-terminated spin spirals in hcp Eu which propagate along ⟨-1-123⟩ directions in the surface-near region. Other: We acknowledge financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) through Project No. 510676484 (GZ: BO 1468/29-1) and under Germany’s Excellence Strategy through the Würzburg– Dresden Cluster of Excellence on Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter, ct.qmat (EXC 2147, Project No. 390858490). Other: Please read the "README.txt" file for further information.