Saturation and self-absorption effects in the angle-dependent 2p3d resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectra of Co3+

Angle-dependent 2p3d resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectra of a LaCoO3 single crystal and a 55nm LaCoO3 film on a SrTiO3 substrate are presented. Theoretical calculation shows that, with similar to 20meV resolved Co 2p3d resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS), the excited states of the isotropic (1)A(1g)(O-h) ground state are split by 3d spin-orbit coupling, which can be distinguished via their angular dependence. However, strong self-absorption and saturation effects distort the spectra of the LaCoO3 single crystal and limit the observation of small angular dependence. In contrast, the RIXS on 55nm LaCoO3 shows less self-absorption effects and preserves the angular dependence of the excited states.