NEW MAGNETIC LINEAR DICHROISM IN TOTAL PHOTOELECTRON YIELD FOR MAGNETIC DOMAIN IMAGING

We report a dependence of the photoabsorption cross section as measured by total electron yield at the Fe and Co 3p thresholds on the sign of the magnetization for p-polarized light at oblique incidence. Peak-to-peak asymmetries up to 4% are observed. The asymmetry increases towards grazing incidence, where the total sample current is smallest. The transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect measured simultaneously shows a peak-to-peak asymmetry of up to 23% at the Co 3p threshold. The dichroism is used to image magnetic domains on an Fe(100) surface in a photoelectron emission microscope.