Magnetocrystalline anisotropy in x-ray magnetic linear dichroism at the 3 p edges of crystalline Fe thin films

X-ray magnetic linear dichroism spectra measured in reflection (XMLD-R) on crystalline bcc Fe thin films across the 3 p absorption edges are reported. A series of measurements with varying orientation of the electric field vector of the linear polarized synchrotron radiation with respect to the crystal axes reveals a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the XMLD-R spectra. The spectra agree well with theoretical spectra calculated within the framework of the density-functional theory accounting for the spin-orbital and exchange splitting of the 3 p semicore states on an equal footing.