TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRONS THROUGH FERROMAGNETIC MATERIAL AND APPLICATIONS TO DETECTION OF ELECTRON-SPIN POLARIZATION

The salient features of the total low energy inelastic electron scatte ring cross section in transition metals are described by a constant te rm sigma0 plus a term sigma(d) that is proportional to the number of u noccupied d-orbitals. This simple model predicts that low energy elect rons transmitted through a ferromagnetic ultrathin film acquire a tran sport spin polarization a(x). Using the ratio sigma0/sigma(d) as the o nly adjustable parameter, the model predicts the enhancement of the sp in polarization of the low energy cascade electrons as well as a(x) in reasonable agreement with the existing observations on Fe, Co and Ni. A detector for electron spin polarization P based on the spin depende nt transmission of electrons through ferromagnetic material is propose d which should be superior to existing P-detectors by 1-2 orders of ma gnitude.