Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus
MA 47: Altermagnets V
MA 47.5: Talk
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 16:00–16:15, HSZ/0002
Circular Dichroism in Resonant Photoelectron Diffraction on Altermagnetic MnTe Films — •Lena Hirnet, Marco Dittmar, Maximilian Ünzelmann, and Friedrich Reinert — Exp. Physik VII and Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat, Universität Würzburg, Germany
Altermagnets have lately attracted great attention combining antiferromagnetic spin alignment in real space with a momentum-dependent spin polarization of the electronic states in the band structure. One of the proposed altermagnet work horse materials is MnTe [1,2]. Recently, it has been theoretical predicted that the circular dichroism observed in resonant photoelectron diffraction patterns serves as a direct probe of the altermagnetic sublattice texture [3]. Here, we present resonant photoemission experiments conducted at soft x-ray photon energies corresponding to the Mn L2,3 absorption edge. In the corresponding photoelectron diffraction pattern, we can identify the scattering processes of electrons — photoexcited from the Mn-3d states — with the surrounding sublattice atoms. In particular, we find Mn-Mn and Mn-Te forward-scattering peaks and will discuss their dichroic texture which compares very well with the theoretical calculations [3].
[1] L. Šmejkal et al., Phys. Rev. X 12, 031042 (2022)
[2] J. Krempaský et al., Nature 626, 517-522 (2024)
[3] P. Krüger, Phys. Rev. Let 135, 196703 (2025)
Keywords: MnTe; Altermagnets; Resonant Photoelectron Diffraction