X-Ray Diffraction Microscopy of Magnetic Structures

Abstract

We report the first proof-of-principle experiment of iterative phase retrieval from magnetic x-ray diffraction. By using the resonant x-ray excitation process and coherent x-ray scattering, we show that linearly polarized soft x rays can be used to image both the amplitude and the phase of magnetic domain structures. We recovered the magnetic structure of an amorphous terbium-cobalt thin film with a spatial resolution of about 75 nm at the Co L3 edge at 778 eV. In comparison with soft x-ray microscopy images recorded with Fresnel zone plate optics at better than 25 nm spatial resolution, we find qualitative agreement in the observed magnetic structure.

Enhancement of spin orbit torques in a Tb-Co alloy magnetic wire by controlling its Tb composition

“…20 In this study, we estimated D of the Tb x Co 1-x wires by using ∆ = 5 nm. 28 Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show the DW propagation field (H p ), M s , J th and D of the Tb x Co 1-x wires as a function of x, respectively. As shown in Fig.…”

The contribution of Diamond Light Source to the study of strongly correlated electron systems and complex magnetic structures

“…These problems can be avoided by using high-resolution X-ray imaging techniques based on zone plates, but the ultimate resolution is then limited by the construction tolerance of the zone plate. With the advent of XFELs, there has been an increasing interest in coherent diffraction imaging which allows fast and reliable inversion of scattering patterns to generate real space images with nanometre resolution via Fourier transform holography or phase retrieval image reconstruction [111][112][113]. On the Nanoscience beamline (I06) Ogrin (Exeter) and co-workers have developed magnetic holography using extended reference by autocorrelation linear differential operator (HERALDO) [114].…”

Diamondoid coating enables disruptive approach for chemical and magnetic imaging with 10 nm spatial resolution

“…However, the photoexcited electrons from the sample surface tend to have a broad energy distribution, limiting the spatial resolution to 25 nm or more due to chromatic aberration within the electron lens system 19,20,21,22 . This puts X-PEEM at a disadvantage when compared to related techniques such as X-ray transmission or diffraction microscopy 23,24 . Ultraviolet excitation could be used to limit the energy spread to 1 eV or less to obtain 10 nm spatial resolution 19 , however at the cost of elemental, chemical and magnetic sensitivity.…”