Induced magnetism of carbon atoms at the graphene/Ni(111) interface

We report an element-specific investigation of electronic and magnetic properties of the graphene/Ni(111) system. Using magnetic circular dichroism, the occurrence of an induced magnetic moment of the carbon atoms in the graphene layer aligned parallel to the Ni 3d magnetization is observed. We attribute this magnetic moment to the strong hybridization between C $\pi$ and Ni 3d valence band states. The net magnetic moment of carbon in the graphene layer is estimated to be in the range of $0.05-0.1 \mu_B$ per atom.