Imaging the evolution of antiferromagnetic domains in FeTe thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The choice of substrates can have pronounced effects on the electronic properties of thin films. We synthesize FeTe thin films on SrTiO3(001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and study them using spin-polarized scanning-tunneling microscopy (SP-STM). We map the local antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering as a function of temperature to find nanoscale AFM domains, which shift irreversibly with the change in temperature. These simultaneously correlate with local structural anisotropy, providing a rare nanoscale insight into the connection between structural distortions and magnetic ordering. The domains observed appear strikingly different compared to those observed in bulk single crystals of FeTe. I will conclude the talk by presenting preliminary work on growing and studying FeTe thin films on other substrates.