Characterization of spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscope using multipolarized soft x rays at BL17SU/SPring-8.

Spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscope (SPELEEM) improved its performance after installation at BL17SU/SPring-8, where a multipolarization-mode undulator is employed to produce circularly and linearly polarized soft x rays. This undulator enables us to study the domain structures of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and x-ray magnetic linear dichroism. SPELEEM is used to study light elements (C, N, and O), 3d transition-metal elements and 4f rare earth elements, utilizing a wide range of photon energies. The two cylindrical mirrors adopted in front of SPELEEM ensure an illumination area of 14 x 14 microm(2) on the samples. The lateral resolution of a secondary electron photoemission electron microscope image is estimated to be better than 85 nm, whereas the energy resolution of the instrument is better than 0.4 eV.