X-Ray Absorption and Experiments with Circularly Polarized Radiation |
| B. Schmiedeskamp Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany |
| Full Text PDF |
| Absorption of circularly polarized radiation (σ-radiation) recently gained interest mainly due to its helicity-dependence for magnetic materials (circular magnetic dichroism). The physics behind this absorption process is optical orientation and is closely related to the physics behind other types of experiment with circularly polarized radiation in which fundamental electronic properties of matter are studied. The consideration of X-ray absorption plays also a role in the development of new beam lines for σ-radiation. An important part in a beamline for σ-radiation in the soft X-ray range can be multilayer optics. The role of absorption in the design of these optics is discussed as well as different types of experiment with circularly polarized radiation: the physical mechanism of optical orientation is applied to gain insight into both magnetic and fundamental electronic properties of matter. |
| DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.86.675 PACS numbers: 75.25.+z, 41.60.Ap |