Interplay between orbital and magnetic long range order by resonant X-ray scattering in (V1-xCrx)2O3

Resonant X-ray scattering experiments have been performed in 2.8% Cr-doped V2O3 single crystal at the Vanadium K-photoabsorption edge. Using linear polarization analysis and comparing the angular dependence of scattered photons with structure factor calculations we can discriminate the nature of the different resonant X-ray processes involved in forbidden lattice reflections enhanced by resonances. We present an experimental method to extract information on local properties of edge-atom such as the anisotropy of the local atomic environment, the atomic magnetic moment orientation and orbital ordering. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BM All rights reserved.