Spin-polarized photoelectron diffraction using circularly polarized x rays

The observation of spin-dependent photoelectron diffraction using circularly polarized x rays is reported for Fe films on Cu(001). Circularly polarized x rays produce spin-polarized photoelectrons from the Fe 2p doublet, and intensity asymmetries in the 2p3/2 level are observed. Fully spin-specific multiple-scattering calculations reproduce the experimentally determined energy and angular dependences. An analytical procedure is introduced which removes exchange shift contributions to the Fe 2p asymmetry, and focuses instead upon intensity variations due to spin-dependent diffraction.