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Nanoscale Mapping of Magnetic Orientations with Complex X-Ray Magnetic Linear Dichroism

Marina Raboni-Ferreira1,2,3,*, Benedikt J. Daurer4, Jeffrey Neethirajan1, Andreas Apseros5,6, Sandra Ruiz-Gómez1,7, Burkhard Kaulich4, Majid Kazemian4, and Claire Donnelly1,†

  • *Contact author: marina.raboniferreira@cpfs.mpg.de
  • †Contact author: claire.donnelly@cpfs.mpg.de
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 126702 – Published 14 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xybk-9c9l

Abstract

Compensated magnets are of increasing interest for both fundamental research and applications, with their net-zero magnetization leading to ultrafast dynamics and robust order. To understand and control this order, nanoscale mapping of local domain structures is necessary. One of the main routes to mapping antiferromagnetic order is x-ray magnetic linear dichroism (XMLD), which probes the local orientation of the Néel vector. However, XMLD imaging typically suffers from weak contrast and has mainly been limited to surface-sensitive techniques. Here, we harness coherent diffractive imaging to map the complex XMLD spectroscopically, and identify the phase linear dichroism as a high-contrast, high-resolution mechanism for imaging magnetic order. By applying x-ray spectroptychography to a model sample, we retrieve the full complex XMLD spectrum. Combining this with hierarchical clustering, we resolve the spatial distribution of probed domains by their distinct spectral signatures, providing a robust method for analyzing magnetic configurations with weak signals. Our results show that phase contrast is significantly stronger than the corresponding absorption contrast, offering higher spatial-resolution magnetic imaging. This approach establishes a reliable element- and orbital-sensitive tool for studying compensated magnets.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 126702– Published 14 September, 2026
  • Received 16 February 2025
  • Revised 15 May 2026
  • Accepted 7 July 2026
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