Spin-polarized quantized electronic structure of Fe(001) with symmetry breaking due to the magnetization direction

Quantum well states are responsible for many fundamental phenomena that oscillate with layer thickness, such as magnetic anisotropy or magnetoresistance. Here, the authors present the magnetization-dependent quantized electronic states of Fe(001), mapped in unprecedented detail using spin-resolved momentum microscopy and high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission. The experimental observations are compared with photoemission simulations, based on the bulk initial electronic band structure, which include quantization of the initial states and broadening of the final states along the wave vector direction perpendicular to the sample surface.