Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 208, 141-155 (2012)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2012-01615-2

Review

Charge-magnetic interference resonant scattering studies of ferromagnetic crystals and thin films

¹ Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, USA
² Institute of Metal Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, and Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
³ Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, USA
⁴ Department of Physics and Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, USA

^a e-mail: haskel@aps.anl.gov

Received: 19 December 2011
Revised: 23 March 2012
Published online: 15 June 2012

Abstract

The element- and site-specificity of X-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) makes it an ideal tool for furthering our understanding of complex magnetic systems. In the hard X-rays, XRMS is readily applied to most antiferromagnets where the relatively weak resonant magnetic scattering (10⁻²–10⁻⁶I_c) is separated in reciprocal space from the stronger, Bragg charge scattered intensity, I_c. In ferro(ferri)magnetic materials, however, such separation does not occur and measurements of resonant magnetic scattering in the presence of strong charge scattering are quite challenging. We discuss the use of charge-magnetic interference resonant scattering for studies of ferromagnetic (FM) crystals and layered films. We review the challenges and opportunities afforded by this approach, particularly when using circularly polarized X-rays. We illustrate current capabilities at the Advanced Photon Source with studies aimed at probing site-specific magnetism in ferromagnetic crystals, and interfacial magnetism in films.