Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante ... more Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante i corsi di Fisica Sperimentale a Ingegneria presso il Politecnico di Milano. Il testo è organizzato con una sequenza che bene o male segue quella tenuta in aula.
Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante ... more Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante i corsi di Fisica Sperimentale ad Ingegneria presso il Politecnico di Milano. Il testo è organizzato con una sequenza che bene o male segue quella tenuta in aula.
Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante ... more Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante i corsi di Fisica Sperimentale a Ingegneria presso il Politecnico di Milano. Il testo è organizzato con una sequenza che bene o male segue quella tenuta in aula.
The macroscopic force (called the Laplace force) acting on a wire carrying an electric current pl... more The macroscopic force (called the Laplace force) acting on a wire carrying an electric current placed in a magnetic field is a consequence of the Lorentz force acting on each charge inside the wire. Typically, the Laplace force is explained as a magnetic force resulting from the interaction of the moving charges with the external magnetic field. Such an interpretation, however, is too simplistic and does not take into account all the interactions between the various charge populations inside the wire. This leads to a series of paradoxes that might hinder the understanding of this subject. For instance, a magnetic force cannot do any work, while a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field represents the paradigm to understand the working principle of an electric motor. Here, we will solve this and other inconsistencies by showing, with simple arguments comprehensible to undergraduate students, that the Laplace force is instead an electrostatic force.
By 11 March 2020, the phrase “COVID-19” had officially entered everyday life across most of the w... more By 11 March 2020, the phrase “COVID-19” had officially entered everyday life across most of the word. Each level of education suddenly faced new changes and new challenges. Emergency remote teaching became widespread, and new methodologies to deliver classes and courses were adopted by educational institutions. In this paper, we focus on the impact of the remote learning experience of engineering students enrolled at the Politecnico di Milano. The subjects were recruited from all engineering courses from the first to the fifth year and were asked to complete a multidimensional survey. The survey featured 66 items regarding the participants’ perceptions of the challenges of emergency remote teaching compared with pre-COVID-19 in-person teaching. The questionnaire addressed six dimensions: the organization of emergency remote teaching, subjective well-being, metacognition, self-efficacy, identity, and socio-demographic information. In this paper, we describe the entire survey and disc...
Since the early 1970s it has been pointed out that many higher education students have a fairly l... more Since the early 1970s it has been pointed out that many higher education students have a fairly large number of mistaken ideas on some Physics topics. Indeed, the term "misconceptions" was introduced for the first time in 1972. This theme is worthy of investigation in order to improve the students' outcomes in basic Physics courses and to tackle the issue of the growing number of dropouts. Consisting of three main stages closely connected with each other, our research aims at identifying, comparing and overcoming the most significant and widespread misconceptions shown by first-year university students enrolled for engineering, in relation to their basic knowledge of Physics, with specific reference to Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism. It is being developed by Politecnico di Milano [ITA] along with Doshisha University [JAP] and Bauman Moscow State Technical University [RUS], which offer Physics and Engineering courses, as well as with Università degli Studi di Trento [ITA], which provides pedagogic support. First of all, data about the above mentioned misconceptions were gathered by each technical institution through the use of an ad hoc test, which consisted of 12 multiple choice quizzes administered to about 750 students attending the 7 courses globally involved in the research. Hence, misconceptions related to the main macro-areas were further classified according to specific headings, i.e. kinematics, heat engine, electric field, among others. Secondly, the misconceptions expressed by the students attending the different universities involved in the research were compared. They appear to be broadly widespread among the freshmen, with Electromagnetism being the macro-area where the students' results are the worst. Throughout the third and final stage of our study, a trial video has been produced to enable students to overcome some significant misconceptions.
XXX International Conference on Surface Modification Technologies (SMT30), Jul 1, 2016
Superhydrophobic state is one of the most interesting and attractive topic in these years due to ... more Superhydrophobic state is one of the most interesting and attractive topic in these years due to the wide application possibilities. Roughness and surface tension are the main parameters to be controlled to obtain a surface with hydrophobic properties. The topic of this thesis is to investigate how substrate roughness and coating deposition parameters influence wettability properties. Different chemo-physical surface properties were performed by creating different substrate roughness and by applying different coatings. As substrate has been chosen mild carbon steel, use both as received and after sandblasting treatment. Over these substrates a thin organic film coating has been applied. The employed coatings were purchased or were synthesized and characterized in laboratory. Their deposition procedure was made of three main steps: cleaning, etching and post thermal treatment. Etching time and post thermal treatment has been widely surveyed to respectively improve active sites concentration on the metallic substrate and to improve the strength of anchoring bonding. For each kind of coating, three different alkyl chain lengths have been studied to understand their role in the wettability. Optical contact angle analysis was used to establish wetting properties, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize samples mechanical properties (roughness and coatings adhesion force). Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) characterization was used to quantify coatings thickness and to determine their chemical composition. Electrical samples properties were studied by electrochemical impedance (EI), while surface morphologies were detected by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The theory and research on learning in higher education are pointing out that active methods are ... more The theory and research on learning in higher education are pointing out that active methods are able to improve learners' performance more than passive ones and to trigger situated and deep learning. However, some factors prevent their spread and trust amongst university instructors, like their complex logistics in large size lectures. Indeed, in academic crowded classes these interactive-engagement methodologies are sporadically employed and seem to be rarely successful. In this context, in the academic years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 we carried out a quasi-experiment at Politecnico di Milano aimed at investigating the effectiveness of the integration of peer learning activities, strengthened by the use of technology, into traditional Physics lectures as a teaching method in large size classes. Data related to both an experimental and a control group were gathered and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics; Shapiro-Wilk, Levene, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-r...
The academic course on Mechanics and Electromagnetism "Fisica Sperimentale A+B" at Politecnico di... more The academic course on Mechanics and Electromagnetism "Fisica Sperimentale A+B" at Politecnico di Milano was selected to investigate peer learning effects in large size lectures. It was attended by both freshmen attending the first year of Chemical Engineering and those studying Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering during the first term of the academic year 2017-2018. After arranging the students in three different sections on the basis of an alphabetical order, the research team modified the design and pedagogical method of one of these sections. In addition to traditional lectures, the students of this section took periodical tests based on multiple choice quizzes whose provision was implemented by using the on-line portal Socrative and by allowing the students to use their own electronic devices. Immediately after each quiz and without getting any feedback on the accuracy, freshmen would discuss the quizzes in small groups for few minutes. At the end of this debate, they retook the same test. Thanks to the significant bulk of data collected, the findings are likely to show that the average score achieved by the students in the same test, normalised so that the highest value is equal to 10, increases considerably as a consequence of peer discussion: from 5.1 to 6.7 in Mechanics, corresponding to a growth by 32%, and from 3.6 to 5.6 in Electromagnetism, corresponding to an increase by 55%. Moreover, a sensible decrease in the incorrect answers rate emerges in relation to each quiz: on average, 43% and 30% in Mechanics and Electromagnetism respectively. Furthermore, significant and comparable reductions of this rate occur as regards quizzes characterised by both low and high percentage of incorrect answers in quizzes which precede peer learning and peer evaluation. Finally, the percent decrease in incorrect answers given by female students is higher than the male percent reduction in 90% of the Mechanics quizzes and lower in the remaining 10%; conversely, they are both equal to 50% with relation to Electromagnetism quizzes.
The Italian government recently reformed the examination which concludes the Secondary School stu... more The Italian government recently reformed the examination which concludes the Secondary School study programme. With reference to the Liceo Scientifico, i.e. a specific kind of High School with students specializing in scientific subjects, this reform emphasized the crucial role played by Physics in this curriculum. Consequently, revamping the teaching of Physics should be a primary goal. This change ought to increase the time and energies allotted to experimental didactic activities as well as the use of ad hoc educational videos on Physics phenomena. Our research team developed an instructional experience based on the experimental measurement of Planck constant h, a fundamental Physics constant, run directly by a group of 17-year old students attending the Liceo Scientifico Statale "G. B. Grassi" located in Lecco, in the northwest of Italy. Moreover, a didactic video of the same experiment was produced by the Experimental teaching lab. ST2 of the Politecnico di Milano in order to foster students' reflection on the same experience as a follow-up activity.This synergistic use of the laboratory activity and the related video can be regarded as a significant novelty in teaching innovation. Finally, in an Open Educational Resources philosophy (OER), this video will be made available on the web site of the Lab. ST2 YouTube channel. Our project was developed in the context of the Piano Nazionale Lauree Scientifiche, a government programme which funds didactic innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Higher Education and at Secondary School level.
Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante ... more Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante i corsi di Fisica Sperimentale a Ingegneria presso il Politecnico di Milano. Il testo è organizzato con una sequenza che bene o male segue quella tenuta in aula.
Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante ... more Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante i corsi di Fisica Sperimentale ad Ingegneria presso il Politecnico di Milano. Il testo è organizzato con una sequenza che bene o male segue quella tenuta in aula.
Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante ... more Questo testo è una raccolta delle lezioni svolte in aula dal sottoscritto in questi anni durante i corsi di Fisica Sperimentale a Ingegneria presso il Politecnico di Milano. Il testo è organizzato con una sequenza che bene o male segue quella tenuta in aula.
The macroscopic force (called the Laplace force) acting on a wire carrying an electric current pl... more The macroscopic force (called the Laplace force) acting on a wire carrying an electric current placed in a magnetic field is a consequence of the Lorentz force acting on each charge inside the wire. Typically, the Laplace force is explained as a magnetic force resulting from the interaction of the moving charges with the external magnetic field. Such an interpretation, however, is too simplistic and does not take into account all the interactions between the various charge populations inside the wire. This leads to a series of paradoxes that might hinder the understanding of this subject. For instance, a magnetic force cannot do any work, while a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field represents the paradigm to understand the working principle of an electric motor. Here, we will solve this and other inconsistencies by showing, with simple arguments comprehensible to undergraduate students, that the Laplace force is instead an electrostatic force.
By 11 March 2020, the phrase “COVID-19” had officially entered everyday life across most of the w... more By 11 March 2020, the phrase “COVID-19” had officially entered everyday life across most of the word. Each level of education suddenly faced new changes and new challenges. Emergency remote teaching became widespread, and new methodologies to deliver classes and courses were adopted by educational institutions. In this paper, we focus on the impact of the remote learning experience of engineering students enrolled at the Politecnico di Milano. The subjects were recruited from all engineering courses from the first to the fifth year and were asked to complete a multidimensional survey. The survey featured 66 items regarding the participants’ perceptions of the challenges of emergency remote teaching compared with pre-COVID-19 in-person teaching. The questionnaire addressed six dimensions: the organization of emergency remote teaching, subjective well-being, metacognition, self-efficacy, identity, and socio-demographic information. In this paper, we describe the entire survey and disc...
Since the early 1970s it has been pointed out that many higher education students have a fairly l... more Since the early 1970s it has been pointed out that many higher education students have a fairly large number of mistaken ideas on some Physics topics. Indeed, the term "misconceptions" was introduced for the first time in 1972. This theme is worthy of investigation in order to improve the students' outcomes in basic Physics courses and to tackle the issue of the growing number of dropouts. Consisting of three main stages closely connected with each other, our research aims at identifying, comparing and overcoming the most significant and widespread misconceptions shown by first-year university students enrolled for engineering, in relation to their basic knowledge of Physics, with specific reference to Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism. It is being developed by Politecnico di Milano [ITA] along with Doshisha University [JAP] and Bauman Moscow State Technical University [RUS], which offer Physics and Engineering courses, as well as with Università degli Studi di Trento [ITA], which provides pedagogic support. First of all, data about the above mentioned misconceptions were gathered by each technical institution through the use of an ad hoc test, which consisted of 12 multiple choice quizzes administered to about 750 students attending the 7 courses globally involved in the research. Hence, misconceptions related to the main macro-areas were further classified according to specific headings, i.e. kinematics, heat engine, electric field, among others. Secondly, the misconceptions expressed by the students attending the different universities involved in the research were compared. They appear to be broadly widespread among the freshmen, with Electromagnetism being the macro-area where the students' results are the worst. Throughout the third and final stage of our study, a trial video has been produced to enable students to overcome some significant misconceptions.
XXX International Conference on Surface Modification Technologies (SMT30), Jul 1, 2016
Superhydrophobic state is one of the most interesting and attractive topic in these years due to ... more Superhydrophobic state is one of the most interesting and attractive topic in these years due to the wide application possibilities. Roughness and surface tension are the main parameters to be controlled to obtain a surface with hydrophobic properties. The topic of this thesis is to investigate how substrate roughness and coating deposition parameters influence wettability properties. Different chemo-physical surface properties were performed by creating different substrate roughness and by applying different coatings. As substrate has been chosen mild carbon steel, use both as received and after sandblasting treatment. Over these substrates a thin organic film coating has been applied. The employed coatings were purchased or were synthesized and characterized in laboratory. Their deposition procedure was made of three main steps: cleaning, etching and post thermal treatment. Etching time and post thermal treatment has been widely surveyed to respectively improve active sites concentration on the metallic substrate and to improve the strength of anchoring bonding. For each kind of coating, three different alkyl chain lengths have been studied to understand their role in the wettability. Optical contact angle analysis was used to establish wetting properties, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize samples mechanical properties (roughness and coatings adhesion force). Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) characterization was used to quantify coatings thickness and to determine their chemical composition. Electrical samples properties were studied by electrochemical impedance (EI), while surface morphologies were detected by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The theory and research on learning in higher education are pointing out that active methods are ... more The theory and research on learning in higher education are pointing out that active methods are able to improve learners' performance more than passive ones and to trigger situated and deep learning. However, some factors prevent their spread and trust amongst university instructors, like their complex logistics in large size lectures. Indeed, in academic crowded classes these interactive-engagement methodologies are sporadically employed and seem to be rarely successful. In this context, in the academic years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 we carried out a quasi-experiment at Politecnico di Milano aimed at investigating the effectiveness of the integration of peer learning activities, strengthened by the use of technology, into traditional Physics lectures as a teaching method in large size classes. Data related to both an experimental and a control group were gathered and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics; Shapiro-Wilk, Levene, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-r...
The academic course on Mechanics and Electromagnetism "Fisica Sperimentale A+B" at Politecnico di... more The academic course on Mechanics and Electromagnetism "Fisica Sperimentale A+B" at Politecnico di Milano was selected to investigate peer learning effects in large size lectures. It was attended by both freshmen attending the first year of Chemical Engineering and those studying Materials and Nanotechnology Engineering during the first term of the academic year 2017-2018. After arranging the students in three different sections on the basis of an alphabetical order, the research team modified the design and pedagogical method of one of these sections. In addition to traditional lectures, the students of this section took periodical tests based on multiple choice quizzes whose provision was implemented by using the on-line portal Socrative and by allowing the students to use their own electronic devices. Immediately after each quiz and without getting any feedback on the accuracy, freshmen would discuss the quizzes in small groups for few minutes. At the end of this debate, they retook the same test. Thanks to the significant bulk of data collected, the findings are likely to show that the average score achieved by the students in the same test, normalised so that the highest value is equal to 10, increases considerably as a consequence of peer discussion: from 5.1 to 6.7 in Mechanics, corresponding to a growth by 32%, and from 3.6 to 5.6 in Electromagnetism, corresponding to an increase by 55%. Moreover, a sensible decrease in the incorrect answers rate emerges in relation to each quiz: on average, 43% and 30% in Mechanics and Electromagnetism respectively. Furthermore, significant and comparable reductions of this rate occur as regards quizzes characterised by both low and high percentage of incorrect answers in quizzes which precede peer learning and peer evaluation. Finally, the percent decrease in incorrect answers given by female students is higher than the male percent reduction in 90% of the Mechanics quizzes and lower in the remaining 10%; conversely, they are both equal to 50% with relation to Electromagnetism quizzes.
The Italian government recently reformed the examination which concludes the Secondary School stu... more The Italian government recently reformed the examination which concludes the Secondary School study programme. With reference to the Liceo Scientifico, i.e. a specific kind of High School with students specializing in scientific subjects, this reform emphasized the crucial role played by Physics in this curriculum. Consequently, revamping the teaching of Physics should be a primary goal. This change ought to increase the time and energies allotted to experimental didactic activities as well as the use of ad hoc educational videos on Physics phenomena. Our research team developed an instructional experience based on the experimental measurement of Planck constant h, a fundamental Physics constant, run directly by a group of 17-year old students attending the Liceo Scientifico Statale "G. B. Grassi" located in Lecco, in the northwest of Italy. Moreover, a didactic video of the same experiment was produced by the Experimental teaching lab. ST2 of the Politecnico di Milano in order to foster students' reflection on the same experience as a follow-up activity.This synergistic use of the laboratory activity and the related video can be regarded as a significant novelty in teaching innovation. Finally, in an Open Educational Resources philosophy (OER), this video will be made available on the web site of the Lab. ST2 YouTube channel. Our project was developed in the context of the Piano Nazionale Lauree Scientifiche, a government programme which funds didactic innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Higher Education and at Secondary School level.
Photo-assisted Ultrafast Scanning Electron Microscopy (USEM) maps the dynamics of surface photovo... more Photo-assisted Ultrafast Scanning Electron Microscopy (USEM) maps the dynamics of surface photovoltages and local electric fields in semiconducting samples. Photovoltages and their gradients close to surface affect the emission yield and the detection efficiency of secondary electrons (SE), leading to photoexcited SE 2D patterns. In this work, we present a method to characterize the evolution of the patterns up to ultrafast regime. These results reveal the role of surface states in affecting the external field dynamics at picoseconds. Moreover, we show that tiny changes in surface preparation express deeply different photoexcited voltage signals. We investigate the relation between the surface chemistry of Si and photo-induced SE contrast.
Nowadays, an academic institution faces the challenge of a not negligible number of undergraduate... more Nowadays, an academic institution faces the challenge of a not negligible number of undergraduates who drop out. To organise welcome sessions for first-year students appears to be effective in increasing their persistence. For several years Politecnico di Milano has provided a Physics refresher course to its new freshmen, which is part of a much broader pedagogical project consisting in offering a blended course which integrates this face-to-face activity with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), delivered through Politecnico di Milano MOOCs portal. Held in September and ending before the beginning of the students' academic programme, this two-week course focuses on classical Physics. Freshmen are arranged in different sections depending on their own free choice.
The introduction of a two-dimensional oxide layer at the interface between an organic semiconduct... more The introduction of a two-dimensional oxide layer at the interface between an organic semiconductor and a ferromagnetic metal (spinterface) can help in tailoring the formation of spin-polarized hybridized interface states. Here we consider the case of a Cr 4 O 5 monolayer at the C 60 /Fe(001) interface, which is already known to feature the occurrence of spin-polarized states in the fullerene molecules. In this work, we employ scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and photoemission spectroscopy to show that the C 60 /Cr 4 O 5 /Fe(001) spinterface is characterized by the formation of a well-ordered fullerene monolayer and of strongly hybridized interface states. These experimental results are discussed in terms of state-of-the-art ab initio calculations of the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties at the interface.
We have investigated the electron spin diffusion length at room temperature in bulk n-doped germa... more We have investigated the electron spin diffusion length at room temperature in bulk n-doped germanium as a function of the doping concentration. To this purpose, we exploit a nonlocal spin injection/detection scheme where spins are optically injected at the direct gap of Ge and electrically detected by means of the inverse spin-Hall effect (ISHE). By optically generating a spin population in the conduction band of the semiconductor at different distances from the spin detector, we are able to directly determine the electron spin diffusion length Ls in the Ge substrate. We experimentally observe that Ls > 20 μm for lightly doped samples and, by taking into account the electron diffusion coefficient, we estimate electron spin lifetime values τs larger than 50 ns. In contrast, for heavily doped Ge substrates, the spin diffusion length decreases to a few micrometers, corresponding to τs ≈ 20 ns. These results can be exploited to refine spin transport models in germanium and reduce the experimental uncertainties associated with the evaluation of Ls from other spin injection/detection techniques.
We introduce laser-assisted Time-Resolved SEM (TR-SEM), joining Scanning Electron Microscopy and ... more We introduce laser-assisted Time-Resolved SEM (TR-SEM), joining Scanning Electron Microscopy and laser light excitation, to probe the long-term temporal evolution of optically excited charge distributions at the surface of Metal Ammonium Lead Triiodide (MAPbI 3) hybrid perovskite thin films. Laser-assisted TR-SEM relies on the optically induced local modification of Secondary Electron (SE) detection yield to provide mapping of photoexcited potentials and charge dynamics at surfaces, and qualifies as a complementary approach to near-field probe microscopies and nonlinear photoemission spectroscopies for photovoltage measurements. Real-time imaging of evolving field patterns are provided on timescales compatible with SEM scanning rates, so that temporal resolution in the millisecond range can be ultimately envisaged. while shorter timescales down to the ultrafast regime can be accessed by a pump-probe approach. MAPbI 3 is an outstanding light-sensitive material candidate for applications in solar light harvesting and photovoltaics, also appealing as an active system for light generation. In this work, the real time temporal evolution of optically induced SE contrast patterns in MAPbI 3 is experimentally recorded, both under illumination by a 405 nm blue laser and after light removal, showing the occurrence of modifications related to photoinduced positive charge fields at surface. The long term evolution of these surface fields are tentatively attributed to ion migration within the film, under the action of the illumination gradient and the hole collecting substrate. This optical excitation is fully reversible in MAPbI 3 over timescales of hours and a complete recovery of the system occurs within days. Permanent irradiation damage of the material is avoided by operating the SEM at 5keV of energy and 1-10pA of primary current. Optical excitation is provided by intense above-bandgap illumination (up to 50W/cm 2). TR-SEM patterns show a strong dependence on the geometry of SE collection. Measurements are taken at different axial orientations of the sample with respect to the entrance of the in-column detection system of the SEM and compared with numerical modeling of the SE detection process. This enables to single out the information regarding the local potential distribution. Results are interpreted by combining data about the spectral distribution of emitted SEs with the configuration of the electric and magnetic fields in the specimen chamber. The present modeling sets a robust basis for the understanding of photoinduced SE electron contrast.
Metal-oxide nanostructures play a fundamental role in a large number of technological application... more 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 get 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. This is proven at the interface between an ultrathin film of the magnetoelectric antiferromagnetic oxide Cr 2 O 3 and a Ni(111) single crystal substrate. The chemical composition of the samples has been studied by means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, showing that the insertion of graphene, which remains buried at the interface, is able to prevent the oxidation of the substrate. This protective action leads to an ordered and layer-by-layer growth, as revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy data. The structural 1
Ultrathin CoO films can be grown onto Fe(001) by exploiting Co buffer layers with nanometer thick... more Ultrathin CoO films can be grown onto Fe(001) by exploiting Co buffer layers with nanometer thickness, with the result of avoiding the formation of Fe oxides at the interface. Such a system is characterized by a magnetic anisotropy that influences the magnetization reversal behavior, making the Fe easy magnetization axes inequivalent. Here, we exploit Magnetic Second Harmonic Generation to show that such an anisotropy is related to the buried interface and that it is not related to the magnetic properties of the antiferromagnetic CoO layer. In fact, CoO is magnetically ordered already at room temperature, even for low thicknesses and independently on the presence of Fe oxides. The magnetic domains configuration of CoO mimics those of both Fe and Co in all cases, as testified by magnetic PhotoElectron Emission Microscopy measurements.
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