Eur. Phys. J. B 20, 19-25 (2001)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510170281

The chromium spin density wave: magnetic X-ray scattering studies with polarisation analysis

¹ European Commission, JRC, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Postfach 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe, Germany
² European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220X, 38043 Grenoble, France
³ Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná CP 19081, 815531-990 Curitiba Parana, Brazil
⁴ Instituto de Física `Gleb Wataghin', Universidade Estadual de Campinas, CP 6165, 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
⁵ Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, CP 676-13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil

Corresponding author: ^a danny@esrf.fr

Received: 22 September 2000
Published online: 15 March 2001

Abstract

We report on X-ray magnetic diffraction studies of the spin density wave antiferromagnetism formed in the conduction electron band of chromium. Non-resonant X-ray magnetic scattering was used to directly determine that chromium has zero orbital magnetisation. Furthermore, the azimuthal dependence of this scattering provides unique evidence that chromium forms a linearly polarised wave. In the vicinity of the K absorption edge, resonant X-ray magnetic scattering was observed. A consistent model of the magnetic scattering has been derived from the resonant and non-resonant magnetic amplitudes. The enhancement of the magnetic intensity arises primarily from dipole transitions from the core 1s level to 4p states. Quadrupole transitions to the magnetic 3d states are essentially non-existent due to their sensitivity to (and the absence of) orbital moment. This effect is predicted from atomic considerations of the 3d⁵ () transition metal ions.