Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering of MnO : L-2,L-3 edge measurements and assessment of their interpretation

The resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) of MnO measured with high energy resolution across the L-2,L-3 absorption edges of Mn is characterized by a very rich spectral structure due to the local electronic excitations. The spectra are dominated by dd and charge transfer excitations, both dipole allowed in the RIXS process. The spectra strongly depend on the energy and polarization of the incident photons. This vast experimental basis allows an accurate determination of the main parameters of theoretical models used to describe highly correlated electron systems like MnO. We show the results for the single impurity Anderson model and the single ion crystal field model and we compare them. Both models reproduce well the dd excitation spectrum, but the former can also predict satisfactorily the charge transfer excitations.