High efficiency electron spin polarization analyzer based on exchange scattering at Fe/W(001)

We report on a compact electron spin analyzer based on exchange scattering from a magnetic surface. The heart of the detector is an Fe(001) thin film grown on W(001) with chemisorbed oxygen in the p(1 x 1) structure. The device is mounted at the exit of an energy dispersive analyzer and works at a scattering energy of about 13.5 eV. Its figure of merit is 2x10(-3), combined with an excellent stability of more than 2 weeks in UHV. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.