Magnetic x-ray scattering studies of the rare-earth metal holmium (invited)

Abstract

We present the results of recent magnetic x-ray scattering experiments on the rare-earth metal Ho performed using both a rotating anode source and synchrotron radiation. Specifically, we have measured the Ho(00l)+ magnetic satellites in the simple spiral antiferromagnetic phase between 132 and 20 K and in the conical phase below 20 K. Although the cross section for magnetic x-ray scattering is reduced from the usual Thomson cross section by a factor of ≊105, the incommensurate magnetic satellites are well separated from the main Bragg peaks. Thus, detection of the satellites is possible with a rotating anode source and extensive high-resolution studies of them are straightforward with synchrotron radiation. The assembled data are in good agreement with the results of magnetic neutron scattering published previously for different Ho samples.