Spin-resolved inverse photoemission of ferromagnetic surfaces

Inverse photoemission (IPE) with spin-polarized electrons provides a way to measure separately the exchange-split majority and minority bands in ferromagnets above the Fermi level. Consequently spin-resolved IPE turns out to be an outstanding technique for obtaining information on surface magnetism: the magnetization of the topmost atomic layer may be investigated by measuring the exchange splitting of electronic states that are localized within the surface layer. Theoretical models of ferromagnetism may be tested by observing the temperature behavior of bands which contribute to the ferromagnetism of the material. The magnetic coupling of an adsorbate to the ferromagnetic substrate may be studied by probing adsorbate-induced bands. Results for the Ni(110) surface serve as an illustration to discuss the status of spin-resolved IPE and its application to the field of surface magnetism.