This research comprises the careful preparation, characterization and investigation of artificially-structured materials and systems with dimensions at the nanometer level, with particular emphasis on surface, interface and thin film magnetism. These new materials are expected to possess specifically tailored electric and magnetic properties. They provide a sound basis for systematic studies to explore basic concepts in fundamental physics such as phase transitions in two dimensions, enhanced ferromagnetism, altered critical phenomena, magnetic coupling, proximity and interfacial effects, magnetic surface and interface anisotropies. Electron capture spectroscopy and spin-polarized method will probe long range and short range magnetic order. These new materials, which; are also studied using scanning tunneling microscopy, will include magnetic heterostructures with elements such as iron, colbalt, chromium, vanadium, palladium, terbium, and gadolinium that exhibit unusual physical properties if deposited in selected substrates and/or interfaced with suitable elements.These materials have potential application in technological areas such as thin film magnetic recording media and heads.
