Spin-polarized Fermi surface mapping

Abstract

The magnetic and electronic properties of itinerant ferromagnets and their interplay have been studied in the last few years by spin resolved electron spectroscopy on one hand and by high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission experiments on the other. We discuss how the two approaches can be combined in a high resolution electron spectrometer with spin resolution for angle-scanned Fermi surface mapping experiments. We have built this new instrument, which allows an advance into a deeper understanding of magnetic thin film or multilayer systems, where band structures become intricately dense in momentum space and where the magnetization direction can change from layer to layer. Spin-resolution is thus required to arrive at a correct assignment of spectral features. A fully three-dimensional polarimeter makes the instrument 'complete' in the sense that all properties of the photoelectron are measured. First experiments on Ni(111) conclusively confirm previous band and spin assignments at the Fermi level and demonstrate the correct functioning of the apparatus. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.