Linear dichroism in molecular resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Abstract

Polarization-dependent resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is shown to be a new probe of molecular-field effects on molecular electronic structure. Combining experiment and theory, linear dichroism in Cl 2p RIXS following Cl 1s excitation in HCl, Cl2, and CF3Cl is ascribed to molecular-field effects, indicating polarized-RIXS provides a direct probe of spin-orbit-state populations generally applicable to all molecules.