Characterization platform

Microstructural characterization

— Coordinator: C. Carrétéro

The laboratory has acquired three diffractometers (Bruker D8-Discover, Panalytical Empyrean and Rigaku SmartLab) to carry out advanced structural characterization on materials and heterostructures developed in the growth platform. These diffractometers can be used to determine the crystalline structure, map the reciprocal network or measure the thickness and roughness of thin films.

Example of structural characterization of BiFeO₃ thin films epitaxial on a DyScO₃substrate. Reciprocal lattice maps revealing the anisotropic epitaxial stresses of these BiFeO₃.
Pauline Dufour thesis (2023).

Photoelectron spectroscopy

— Coordinators: : C. Carrétéro, F. Godel

A photoelectron spectrometer equipped with two X-ray sources (Al and Mg) and a UV source is used for chemical and electronic characterization studies of surfaces and interfaces. It is connected to a growth cluster comprising three laser ablation reactors and two sputtering chambers. Heterostructures developed ex-situ can also be characterized using a UHV suitcases.

Example of characterization of a hybrid heterostructure combining a ferromagnetic material (Ni) and a two-dimensional van der Waals material (WS₂). XPS measurements at the nickel 2p edge show that the thin layer of WS₂ passivates the nickel surface without any trace of oxidation.
Victor Zatko thesis (2022)

Magnetic characterization

— Coordinators: R. Mattana, N. Reyren, D. Sanz Hernandez

The laboratory is equipped with two magnetometers (SQUID MPMS XL and AGFM) to measure magnetization as a function of temperature (from 5 K to 400 K) and magnetic field up to 5.5 Teslas. Three magneto-optical measurement benches equipped with magnetic fields have been developed for imaging magnetic textures.

Example of skyrmion nucleation imaged by Kerr microscopy (MOKE) in a Pt/Co/Al heterostructure.
Thesis by Yannis Sassi (2023).

Electronic transport characterization

— Coordinators: B. Dlubak, V. Humbert, D. Marković, P. Seneor

The study of the electronic properties of spintronic, superconducting, functional oxide or neuromorphic devices is at the heart of the laboratory’s research activities. The laboratory has about twenty (magneto)-transport benches enabling DC and RF transport measurements (up to a few hundred gigahertz). Some of this equipment is equipped with cryostats for temperature measurements (from 30 mK to 400 K) and/or for applying magnetic fields of up to 9 Teslas.