Magnetic linear dichroism in electron energy loss spectroscopy

In this article, we demonstrate the effect of magnetic linear dichroism (MLD) in electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), as applied to the antiferromagnetic compound alpha-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 is consistent with the MLD observed in x-ray absorption spectroscopy and the known magnetic structure of Hematite, suggesting that MLD in EELS, coupled with the high spatial resolution attainable in STEM, is a useful technique in the study of magnetic microstructure. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.