Observation of a Metastable Honeycomb Arrangement of C on Ni(111) with (7 × 7) Periodicity: Tailoring an Interface for Organic Spintronics.

Hybrid nanostructures in which organic molecules are interfaced with metal surfaces hold promise for the discovery of intriguing physical and chemical phenomena, as well as for the development of innovative devices. In this frame, it is crucial to understand the interplay between the structural details of the interface and the electronic properties of the system. Here, an experimental investigation of the C/Ni(111) interface is performed by means of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED).

Graphene as an Ideal Buffer Layer for the Growth of High-Quality Ultrathin CrO Layers on Ni(111).

Metal-oxide nanostructures play a fundamental role in a large number of technological applications, ranging from chemical sensors to data storage devices. As the size of the devices shrinks down to the nanoscale, it is mandatory to obtain sharp and good quality interfaces. Here, it is shown that a two-dimensional material, namely, graphene, can be exploited as an ideal buffer layer to tailor the properties of the interface between a metallic substrate and an ultrathin oxide.

Enhanced Magnetic Hybridization of a Spinterface through Insertion of a Two-Dimensional Magnetic Oxide Layer.

Interfaces between organic semiconductors and ferromagnetic metals offer intriguing opportunities in the rapidly developing field of organic spintronics. Understanding and controlling the spin-polarized electronic states at the interface is the key toward a reliable exploitation of this kind of systems. Here we propose an approach consisting in the insertion of a two-dimensional magnetic oxide layer at the interface with the aim of both increasing the reproducibility of the interface preparation and offering a way for a further fine control over the electronic and magnetic properties.

Controlling the Electronic and Structural Coupling of C Nano Films on Fe(001) through Oxygen Adsorption at the Interface.

C molecules coupled to metals form hybrid systems exploited in a broad range of emerging fields, such as nanoelectronics, spintronics, and photovoltaic solar cells. The electronic coupling at the C/metal interface plays a crucial role in determining the charge and spin transport in C-based devices; therefore, a detailed understanding of the interface electronic structure is a prerequisite to engineering the device functionalities. Here, we compare the electronic and structural properties of C monolayers interfaced with Fe(001) and oxygen-passivated Fe(001)-p(1 × 1)O substrates.