Quick search Find article
Quick search
Find article

Investigating surface magnetism by means of photoexcitation electron emission microscopy

REVIEW ARTICLE

Claus M Schneider1 and Gerd Schönhense2

Show affiliations


TOPICAL REVIEW

The imaging of surfaces by means of photoexcitation electron emission microscopy (PEEM) has recently received considerable interest. This is mainly due to the extended use and availability of brilliant synchrotron radiation in the soft x-ray regime which generally facilitates studies with surface specificity and chemical selectivity. The most popular application of the x-ray PEEM (XPEEM) technique concerns studies of magnetic systems and phenomena. By exploiting the high degree of circular or linear polarization of the synchrotron light, the magnetic microstructure in both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets can be visualized. In this contribution we demonstrate the unique potential and the versatility of the PEEM approach, and review the current status with a certain emphasis on experiments with soft x-ray excitation. In some cases, the high-energy excitation studies can be complemented by laboratory experiments employing threshold photoemission with ultraviolet light (UV-PEEM). Current limitations and future developments and perspectives of the PEEM technique applied to magnetic systems are discussed.


PACS

75.70.Rf Surface magnetism

78.20.Ls Magnetooptical effects

75.50.Ee Antiferromagnetics

75.25.+z Spin arrangements in magnetically ordered materials (including neutron and spin-polarized electron studies, synchrotron-source x-ray scattering, etc.)

79.60.Dp Adsorbed layers and thin films

Subjects

Condensed matter: electrical, magnetic and optical

Surfaces, interfaces and thin films

Dates

Issue 12 (December 2002)

Received 8 January 2002

Published 22 November 2002



View by subject




Export








Please login to access our web services, or create an account if you don't yet have one.

You must have cookies enabled in your web browser to be able to login.

Username
Password

Forgotten your password? Get a new one here.