Polarization-analyzed resonant inelastic X-ray scattering of the orbital excitations in KCuF

Ishii, Kenji; Ishihara, Sumio*; Murakami, Yoichi*; Ikeuchi, Kazuhiko*; Kuzushita, Kaori*; Inami, Toshiya; Owada, Kenji; Yoshida, Masahiro; Jarrige, I.; Tatami, Naka*; Niioka, Shinya*; Bizen, Daisuke*; Ando, Yuya*; Mizuki, Junichiro; Maekawa, Sadamichi; Endo, Yasuo*

We report a Cu -edge resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) study of orbital excitations in KCuF. By performing the polarization analysis of the scattered photons, we disclose that the excitation between the orbitals and the excitations from to exhibit distinct polarization dependence. The polarization dependence of the respective excitations is interpreted based on a phenomenological consideration of the symmetry of the RIXS process that yields a necessary condition for observing the excitations. In addition, we show that the orbital excitations are dispersionless within our experimental resolution.