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Title: Perpendicular and in-plane hole asymmetry in a strained NiFe 2 O 4 film
Abstract Strained materials can exhibit drastically modified physical properties in comparison to their fully relaxed analogues. We report on the x-ray absorption spectra (XAS) and magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) of a strained NiFe 2 O 4 inverse spinel film grown on a symmetry matched single crystal MgGa 2 O 4 substrate. The Ni XAS spectra exhibit a sizable difference in the white line intensity for measurements with the x-ray electric field parallel to the film plane (normal incidence) vs when the electric field is at an angle (off-normal). A considerable difference is also observed in the Fe L 2,3 XMCD spectrum. Modeling of the XAS and XMCD spectra indicate that the modified energy ordering of the cation 3 d states in the strained film leads to a preferential filling of 3 d states with out-of-plane character. In addition, the results point to the utility of x-ray spectroscopy in identifying orbital populations even with elliptically polarized x-rays.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1952957
NSF-PAR ID:
10320769
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
Volume:
33
Issue:
22
ISSN:
0953-8984
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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