Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering from charge and orbital excitations inmanganites - art. no. 014414

We present a theory of the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) of el ectronic excitations in orbital ordered manganites. The charge and orbital excitations of the Mn 3d electron result from the Coulomb interactions in t he intermediate scattering stare. The scattering cross section is formulate d in terms of the Liouville operator method in which the local and itineran t natures of the excitations are taken into account on an equal footing. Th is permits the cross section to be written in the charge and orbital correl ation functions associated with a factor describing local electronic excita tions. The RIXS spectra are calculated numerically as functions of momentum and the polarization of the x ray. Our calculations show that RIXS provide s an excellent means by which to study the unique electronic excitations in correlated electron systems with orbital degeneracy.