X-RAY DICHROISM AND FARADAY-EFFECT STUDIES IN ORDERED AND DISORDERED FE3PT

The magnetic properties of Fe3Pt compound depend on the degree of disorder present in the system. We have compared a cold-rolled, disordered sample with a heat treated, ordered sample using circularly polarized synchrotron radiation at the Fe K (7112 eV) and at the Pt L3 (11 564 eV) absorption edge, as well as by Mossbauer spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Fe-K edge dichroism is compared to the measurements of Faraday rotation using linearly polarized radiation. We found that the magnitude of magnetic dichroism at the Pt L3 edge is reduced when the disordered Fe3Pt is heat treated and ordered. The enhanced sensitivity of the Faraday rotation measurements compared to the magnetic dichroism measurements at the K edges of transition metals are reported on.