Magnetic circular dichroism in X-ray fluorescence of Heusler alloys at threshold excitation

• Published in: Solid state communications Vol. 117; no. 2; pp. 79 - 82
• Main Authors: Yablonskikh, M.V, Grebennikov, V.I, Yarmoshenko, Yu.M, Kurmaev, E.Z, Butorin, S.M, Duda, L.-C, Sȧthe, C, Käämbre, T, Magnuson, M, Nordgren, J, Plogmann, S, Neumann, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2000
• Subjects: A. Magnetically ordered materials; D. Electronic states (localized); D. Recombination and trapping; E. Synchrotron radiation; E. X-ray emission; D. Electronic states (localized); D. Recombination and trapping; E. Synchrotron radiation; A. Magnetically ordered materials; E. X-ray emission; 73.90.+f; 75.25.+z; 75.20.Hr; 78.70.En
• ISSN: 0038-1098; 1879-2766
• DOI: 10.1016/S0038-1098(00)00415-4

The results of fluorescence measurements of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) in Mn L
2,3 X-ray emission and absorption for Heusler alloys NiMnSb and Co
2MnSb are presented. Very intense resonance Mn L
3 emission is found at the Mn 2p
3/2 threshold and attributed to a peculiarity of the threshold excitation in materials with a half-metallic character of the electronic structure. The excitation energy dependence of Mn L
2,3 X-ray emission spectra (XES) was measured at beamline ID12B at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, Grenoble) using 83% circularly polarized X-rays. A very large MCD effect found in XES is attributed to strong exchange splitting of spin-up and spin-down Mn 3d states. The anomalously high ratio of L
2 emission intensity to L
3 emission intensity is found.