An interpretation of magnetic circular dichroism in 3d-2p X-ray emission for ferromagnetic Fe, Co and Ni

An intuitive discussion on features of L-2.3 X-ray emission spectra in Fe, Co and Ni and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), following the excitation with circularly polarized X-ray, is given from a theoretical side. A weak MCD at elf-resonance excitation and a strong MCD at 2p(3/2) and 2p(1/2) on-resonances, including their signs, are explained in terms of the magnetic and spin quantum number dependence of the dipole transition and the symmetry of occupied 3d states. The spectral weight transfer in the XES spectrum firm the higher emission energy to the lower one and the difference in the extent of transfer between the isotropic and dichroic spectra is explained by the helicity dependent Coster-Kronig decay, which does not manifest explicitly in MCD intensity for X-ray absorption.