Spin-asymmetry in elastic scattering of low-energy electrons from ultrathin Au films on W(110)

We present joint experimental and theoretical results on the elastic scattering of spin-polarized electrons from an epitaxial Au film on a W(110) substrate in the energy range from 8 eV to 27 eV. A time-of-flight technique with a position-sensitive detector is applied to measure secondary emission spectra for spin-up and spin-down primary electrons in a specular geometry. The spin-asymmetry of coherently scattered electrons is obtained by selecting the diffraction spot on the detector. Regions of large asymmetries – with a maximum of about −60 % – are identified for electron energies of about 14 eV. Relativistic multiple-scattering calculations produce spin-orbit-induced asymmetries which are in agreement with their experimental counterparts. They further reveal that large asymmetries are associated with high intensities. This offers the possibility of an efficient new spin polarimeter with a figure of merit of about 1.5 · 10−2.