title: Anisotropic spin-orbit coupling and magnetocrystalline anisotropy in vicinal co films.
abstract: The anisotropy of the spin-orbit interaction, <lambda(a)>, in vicinal Co films has been measured using x-ray magnetic linear dichroism (XMLD). A linear increase in <lambda(a)> with Co step density is found using a new sum rule and represents the first experimental confirmation that XMLD probes the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE). X-ray magnetic circular dichroism is used to confirm that the XMLD arises from changes in the local step-edge electronic structure. The XMLD sum rule gives a larger MAE compared to macroscopic values and is discussed with respect to other local probes of the MAE.
authors.affiliation: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220, F-38043 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dhesi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Der Laan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dudzik
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Shick