Ferromagnetic Stoner excitations detected by electron-energy-loss spectroscopy.

Abstract

Spin-flip Stoner excitations have been detected in ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{80}$${\mathrm{B}}_{15}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{5}$ using simple electron-energy-loss spectroscopy via the strong energy dependence of the exchange process involved. The Stoner-excitation contribution, obtained as the difference between energy-loss spectra taken with low-energy and high-energy primary electrons, is in good agreement with the results of spin-polarized electron-energy-loss spectroscopy and with theoretical predictions.