NiFe2O4 and Fe3O4 studied by XMCD and resonant photoemission

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and resonant photoemission at the Fe and Ni L-2,L-3 edges have been used to investigate the electronic structure of NiFe2O4 (NFO) thin films. The results, when compared to those obtained on Fe3O4, indicate that in a 12 nm NFO film the Ni atoms occupy mainly B sites, as in bulk NFO, and that a decrease in the thickness of the film results in a modification of the nickel hybridization