Relativistic multiple scattering theory of K-edge X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

Abstract

We discuss the angular dependent K-edge X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) spectra based on the non-relativistic Green’s function expansion of the relativistic 4×4 Green’s function developed by Gesztesy et al. [Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré 40 (1984) 159]. For the core functions we use the Dirac equation solutions whereas the relativistic effects for photoelectrons are automatically taken into account in the Gesztesy expansion. Analyses of the angular anisotropy provides us useful information on local symmetry violation around X-ray absorbing atoms even though we include relativistic effects. We explicitly show three different types of the symmetry which give rise to the suppression of the sin β-dependence in XMCD spectra. We also present explicit formulas of XMCD for randomly oriented and spatially fixed systems. Discussion on Debye–Waller factors is given in the present theoretical framework. Some illustrative calculations are also shown to understand the relativistic effects on the XMCD. The results are given for the Gd L 1-edge and Fe K-edge XMCD.