Characterization of spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscope using multipolarized soft x rays at BL17SU/SPring-8

Spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscope (SPELEEM) improved its performance after installation at BL17SU/SPring-8, where a multipolarization-mode undulator is employed to produce circularly and linearly polarized soft x rays. This undulator enables us to study the domain structures of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and x-ray magnetic linear dichroism. SPELEEM is used to study light elements (C, N, and O), 3d transition-metal elements and 4f rare earth elements, utilizing a wide range of photon energies. The two cylindrical mirrors adopted in front of SPELEEM ensure an illumination area of 14x14 mu m(2) on the samples. The lateral resolution of a secondary electron photoemission electron microscope image is estimated to be better than 85 nm, whereas the energy resolution of the instrument is better than 0.4 eV. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.