Properties of thin film europium oxide by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism

Magnetic circular dichroism was measured as function of temperature for the Eu M-5 and M-4 absorption edges in single crystal EuO thin films. The M-5 edge is resolved into two major features, one with the same helicity dependence as the M-4 edge, and one with opposite helicity dependence. While the ratio of the absorption peaks with similar helicity dependence remains constant as a function of temperature, the ratio of those with opposite dependence is found to change linearly with temperature below 75 K. The physical mechanism for this linear behavior in the absorption peak intensity is not well understood. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.