EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

Highly charged ions (HCI), which are commonly used for nano-structuring surfaces, can also be used for material analysis of very thin layers and 2D materials. We propose a method to probe the magnetic state of thin films using grazing incidence scattering measurements: As an ion approaches a surface, electrons are transferred into highly excited states, forming a \textit{hollow atom}. These electrons contain information on the magnetic structure of the surface, because in a ferromagnetic sample the total spin of the electrons $S$ will be maximal. The subsequent electronic decay processes include information on $S$. X-ray measurements in coincidence with final charge state and time-of-flight (from the sample to the detector) analysis allows magnetic phase detection without the need of an external magnetic field. Details on our approach and preliminary experimental data will be shown in the presentation.