Spin-polarized photoemission

Abstract

The principles of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with spin resolution are outlined, with the emphasis on conceptual clarity and not on completeness. In Sect. 2, the theoretical ingredients of the photoemission process are discussed, including the single-particle matrix element as well as the many-body reaction of the solid as reflected in the spectral function. Experimental parameters for probing defined electron states within a three-dimensional Brillouin zone are defined. Sections 3 and 4 list several situations and mechanisms where spin polarization is produced or reduced in photoemission signals, and describe how they can be measured. Spin-polarized ARPES data from a ferromagnetic Ni(111) surface and from the spin-orbit split surface state on Au(111) follow as case studies. Finally, the future prospects of the technique are assessed. © 2006 Springer.