Identification of orientation of magnetic moments in hematite (α-Fe2O3) using linear dichroism in spatially resolved EELS in STEM

We demonstrate the effect of Magnetic Linear Dichroism (MLD) in Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS), as applied to the antiferromagnetic compound α-Fe₂O₃. The experiments were performed in a high resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM), capable of producing a nanoscale electron probe. The resultant difference spectrum compares well with theoretical simulations of MLD conducted using atomic multiplet theory, and is also consistent with known magnetic structure of Hematite. This suggests that MLD in EELS, coupled with the high spatial resolution attainable in STEM, is a useful technique in the study of magnetic microstructure.