Depth-resolved resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at a superconductor/half-metallic-ferromagnet interface through standing wave excitation

Kuo,; C. -T.,; Lin,; S. -C.,; Ghiringhelli, G.; Peng, Y.; De Luca, G. M.; Castro, Di; Betto, D.; Gehlmann, D.; Wijnands, M.; Huijben, T.; Meyer-Ilse, M.; Gullikson, J.; Kortright, E.; Vailionis, J. B.; Gauquelin, A.; Verbeeck, N.; Gerber, J.; Balestrino, T.; Brookes, G.; Braicovich, N. B.; Fadley, L.; C. S.,

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.98.235146

We demonstrate that combining standing wave (SW) excitation with resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) can lead to depth resolution and interface sensitivity for studying orbital and magnetic excitations in correlated oxide heterostructures. SW-RIXS has been applied to multilayer heterostructures consisting of a superconductor La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 (LSCO) and a half-metallic ferromagnet La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO). Easily observable SW effects on the RIXS excitations were found in these LSCO/LSMO multilayers. In addition, we observe different depth distribution of the RIXS excitations. The magnetic excitations are found to arise from the LSCO/LSMO interfaces, and there is also a suggestion that one of the dd excitations comes from the interfaces. SW-RIXS measurements of correlated-oxide and other multilayer heterostructures should provide unique layer-resolved insights concerning their orbital and magnetic excitations, as well as a challenge for RIXS theory to specifically deal with interface effects.

Depth-resolved resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at a superconductor/half-metallic-ferromagnet interface through standing wave excitation / Kuo, ., C. -T., ., Lin, ., S. -C., ., Ghiringhelli, G., Peng, Y., De Luca, G.M., Castro, D.i., Betto, D., Gehlmann, D., Wijnands, M., Huijben, T., Meyer-Ilse, M., Gullikson, J., Kortright, E., Vailionis, J.B., Gauquelin, A., Verbeeck, N., Gerber, J., Balestrino, T., et al.. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW. B. - ISSN 2469-9950. - 98:(2018). [10.1103/PhysRevB.98.235146]