Study of antiferromagnetic NiO using grazing incidence reflectivity and soft X-ray absorption

High-resolution grazing incidence X-ray absorption and reflection spectra n ear the critical angle for total reflection provide a useful means to refin e the analysis of multiplet and charge-transfer satellite structure at the absorption edges for core level excitation. An optical oscillator model can adequately explain the strong spectral changes observed in the region of t he Ni 2p edge of NiO epitaxially grown on Mg(100). The results confirm that NiO is a charge-transfer-type insulator with parameters that relate to the effective superexchange interaction. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.