Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy in transmission mode: Ce M4,5 edges

Absorption spectroscopy in the soft X-ray range is usually performed in the total electron yield (TEY) mode or, to a lesser extent, collecting the fluorescence yield (FY). This work aims to show that the standard transmission scheme is also applicable for soft X-rays. Ce M(4,5) edges are taken as a test case, and the results are compared to simultaneous TEY measurements. Advantages of transmission over TEY or FY, together with its possible fields of application, are discussed.