Abstract
Large magnetic circular dichroism using circularly polarized synchrotron radiation has been observed at the L2,3 absorption edges of thin (1–12 monolayers) fcc Fe films grown on Cu(001). Dramatic changes in the 2p branching ratio are observed when the orientation of photon helicity and sample magnetization are varied from parallel to antiparallel. The temperature and film thickness dependence of the perpendicular anisotropy in these films could be monitored by variations in the 2p branching ratio. Finally, our results are described in a simple theoretical framework that allows a determination between the predicted low- and high-spin phases for fcc Fe. Our data suggest a high-spin phase with a moment of 2.0–2.5 μB/atom. Interestingly, thicker films with remanant magnetic moments in the film plane present smaller branching ratio variations consistent with either a reduced moment or with domain closure for these films. The surface sensitivity and elemental specificity of this technique make it particularly attractive for the study of surface and thin film magnetism.
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