SPIN SELECTIVE X-RAY-ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY - DEMONSTRATION USING HIGH-RESOLUTION FE-KAPPA-BETA FLUORESCENCE

In this letter it is shown that high resolution Fe Kβ excitation spectra can be used to separately probe empty spin-up and spin-down final states. Spin-selective x-ray absorption spectra were obtained by selectively monitoring different regions of the Kβ emission. The fluorescence was excited with monochromatized synchrotron radiation and analyzed using a spherically bent Ge(620) crystal. Spin-polarization was demonstrated by showing that the 1s→3d transition at the Fe K edge is seen with Kβ1,3 detection, but missing in the excitation spectrum using Kβ' detection. The spin-polarization is also confirmed by ligand field atomic multiplet calculations that reproduce the Kβ spectra. Calculations are presented showing the applicability of spin-polarized Kβ detection to nearly all first transition metal ions. © 1994 American Institute of Physics.