Instrument for x-ray absorption spectroscopy with in situ electrical control characterizations

We report a synchrotron-based setup capable of performing x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism with simultaneous electrical control characterizations. The setup can enable research concerning electrical transport, element-and orbital-selective magnetization with an in situ fashion. It is a unique approach to the real-time change of spin-polarized electronic state of a material/device exhibiting magneto-electric responses. The performance of the setup was tested by probing the spin-polarized states of cobalt and oxygen of Zn1-xCoxO dilute magnetic semiconductor under applied voltages, both at low (similar to 20 K) and room temperatures, and signal variations upon the change of applied voltage were clearly detected. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.