Local spin-flip spectral distribution obtained by resonant x-ray Raman scattering

Abstract

We show that resonant x-ray Raman (RXR) scattering can be used to study the local spin-flip excitation spectral distribution in magnetically ordered 3d transition-metal compounds. We demonstrate with realistic calculations on the 3p x-ray absorption edge of a Cu^2+ compound and the 2p edge of a Ni^2+ compound that the scattered x-ray energy and intensity distribution contains the excitation spectrum resulting from a single local spin flip, as well as dd excitations accompanied by local spin flip satellites. We develop the theory describing this effect and discuss the polarization conditions that can be used to observe these effects.