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Strong Linear Dichroism in Spin-Polarized Photoemission from Spin-Orbit-Coupled Surface States

Bentmann, H. ; Maaß, H. ; Krasovskii, E. E. ; Peixoto, T. R.F. ; Seibel, C. ; Leandersson, M. LU ; Thiagarajan, Balasubramanian LU and Reinert, F. (2017) In Physical Review Letters 119(10).
Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of spin-polarized photoemission is crucial for accessing the electronic structure of spin-orbit coupled materials. Yet, the impact of the final state in the photoemission process on the photoelectron spin has been difficult to assess in these systems. We present experiments for the spin-orbit split states in a Bi-Ag surface alloy showing that the alteration of the final state with energy may cause a complete reversal of the photoelectron spin polarization. We explain the effect on the basis of ab initio one-step photoemission theory and describe how it originates from linear dichroism in the angular distribution of photoelectrons. Our analysis shows that the modulated photoelectron spin polarization... (More)

A comprehensive understanding of spin-polarized photoemission is crucial for accessing the electronic structure of spin-orbit coupled materials. Yet, the impact of the final state in the photoemission process on the photoelectron spin has been difficult to assess in these systems. We present experiments for the spin-orbit split states in a Bi-Ag surface alloy showing that the alteration of the final state with energy may cause a complete reversal of the photoelectron spin polarization. We explain the effect on the basis of ab initio one-step photoemission theory and describe how it originates from linear dichroism in the angular distribution of photoelectrons. Our analysis shows that the modulated photoelectron spin polarization reflects the intrinsic spin density of the surface state being sampled differently depending on the final state, and it indicates linear dichroism as a natural probe of spin-orbit coupling at surfaces.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Physical Review Letters
volume
119
issue
10
article number
106401
publisher
American Physical Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:85029721002
  • pmid:28949177
  • wos:000409265000006
ISSN
0031-9007
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.106401
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a58502c9-e7fb-48b8-a220-781c066edf26
date added to LUP
2017-10-05 14:54:30
date last changed
2024-03-31 16:20:30
@article{a58502c9-e7fb-48b8-a220-781c066edf26,
  abstract     = {{<p>A comprehensive understanding of spin-polarized photoemission is crucial for accessing the electronic structure of spin-orbit coupled materials. Yet, the impact of the final state in the photoemission process on the photoelectron spin has been difficult to assess in these systems. We present experiments for the spin-orbit split states in a Bi-Ag surface alloy showing that the alteration of the final state with energy may cause a complete reversal of the photoelectron spin polarization. We explain the effect on the basis of ab initio one-step photoemission theory and describe how it originates from linear dichroism in the angular distribution of photoelectrons. Our analysis shows that the modulated photoelectron spin polarization reflects the intrinsic spin density of the surface state being sampled differently depending on the final state, and it indicates linear dichroism as a natural probe of spin-orbit coupling at surfaces.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bentmann, H. and Maaß, H. and Krasovskii, E. E. and Peixoto, T. R.F. and Seibel, C. and Leandersson, M. and Thiagarajan, Balasubramanian and Reinert, F.}},
  issn         = {{0031-9007}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{10}},
  publisher    = {{American Physical Society}},
  series       = {{Physical Review Letters}},
  title        = {{Strong Linear Dichroism in Spin-Polarized Photoemission from Spin-Orbit-Coupled Surface States}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.106401}},
  doi          = {{10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.106401}},
  volume       = {{119}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}