Study of the spin polarization of unoccupied states near the Fermi level by spin-dependent near-edge absorption spectroscopy

Spin-dependent near-edge absorption spectroscopy is presented as a new method for studying the spin density of states near the Fermi level at the absorbing atom site. Using circularly polarized synchrotron radiation the spin-dependent inner-shell absorption coefficient is measured as a function of the photoelectron energy. The spin-dependent absorption profile is expected to reflect directly the spin-density distribution of the states populated in the absorption process. The spin densities of 3d-and 4f-elements in pure systems, ferromagnetic alloy and compounds, and 5d-impurities in Fe have been investigated. The results are compared with spin-resolved band-structure calculations for the ferromagnetic ground state.