Magnetic dichroism study on Mn1.8Co1.2Ga thin film using a combination of x-ray absorption and photoemission spectroscopy

Siham Ouardi, Gerhard H. Fecher, Takahide Kubota, Shigemi Mizukami, Eiji Ikenaga, Tetsuya Nakamura, Claudia Felser

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9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Using circularly polarised radiation and a combination of bulk-sensitive hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray-absorption spectroscopy (XAS) we studied the electronic and magnetic structure of epitaxial Mn1.8Co1.2Ga thin films. Spin-resolved Bloch spectral functions, density of states as well as charge and magnetisation densities were investigated by a first-principles analysis of full potential, fully relativistic Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker calculations of the electronic structure. The valence states were experimentally investigated by using linear dichroism in the angular distribution and comparing the results to spin-resolved densities of states. The linear dichroism in the valence band enabled a symmetry analysis of the contributing states. The spectra were in good agreement with the theoretical partial density of states. The element-specific, spin-resolved, unoccupied densities of states for Co and Mn were analysed by using XAS and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the L3,2 edges. The spectra were influenced by strong correlation effects. XMCD was used to extract the site-resolved magnetic moments. The experimental values of mMn = 0.7 μB and mCo = 1.05 μB agree very well with the calculated magnetic moments. Magnetic circular dichroism in angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy at the Mn and Co 2p core level exhibited a pronounced magnetic dichroism and confirmed the localised character of the Mn d valence states.

Original languageEnglish
Article number164007
JournalJournal Physics D: Applied Physics
Volume48
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015 Apr 29

Keywords

  • electronic structure
  • Heusler thin films
  • localised magnetic moment
  • magnetic circular dichroism
  • photoelectron spectroscopy
  • x-ray absorption spectroscopy

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