Interface formation and growth of ferromagnetic thin layers in the Mn : Ge(111) system probed by dichroic soft x-ray spectroscopies

In this study, we provide evidence of surface ferromagnetism in a thin metallic Mn:Ge(111) layer displaying a (root 3 x root 3)R30 degrees reconstruction. Magnetic circular dichroism effects are observed in remanence below the Curie temperature in both x-ray absorption spectroscopy and valence-band photoemission spectra, the latter indicating that spin-polarized states are present within 2 eV below the Fermi edge.