Resonant X-ray magnetic scattering: antiferromagnetic metals

Resonant X-ray magnetic scattering is a recognized tool for the investigation of new magnetic phases and phase transitions. Many experiments on antiferromagnetic materials involve excitation to valence (band) states for which the density of levels extends over a large interval in comparison with Gamma, where Gamma/h is the inverse core hole lifetime. A simple model, for the analysis of resonant magnetic scattering from antiferromagnetic materials, is put forward in two stages. First, the antiferromagnetic narrow-band limit is treated and the suggested framework illustrated with an elementary, parametric, analysis of the anomalous resonant energy line shapes observed at the Dy L-2.3 edges in the intermetallic compound DyFe4Al8. The method is then extended to deal with intermediate levels which have a bandwidth significant on the scale of Gamma. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.