Multiple energy x-ray holography (MEXH) measures both phase and amplitude information for x rays scattered from an incident reference beam, from which three-dimensional atomic images can be directly reconstructed. The angular distribution of the x-ray scattering is highly dependent on the polarization direction via the Thomson scattering cross section. We consider here the effect of incident x-ray polarization on images of Fe atoms reconstructed from theoretical and experimental MEXH data for α−Fe2O3(001) (hematite). We also illustrate such polarization effects theoretically in the enhancement of specific atomic structural information of ideal Fe trimers, and a Ge δ-layer buried in Si(001), where the use of different polarization modes and experimental geometries is found to strongly influence atomic images.

Physical review / B 56(3), 1529 - 1539 (1997). doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.56.1529

Published by Inst., Woodbury, NY