Magnetic Resonant X-Ray Scattering in KCuF3

Abstract

We study the magnetic resonant x-ray scattering (RXS) spectra around the $K$ edge of Cu in KCuF$_3$ on the basis of an {\em ab initio} calculation. We use the full-potential linearlized augmented plane wave method in the LDA$+U$ scheme, and introduce the lattice distortion as inputs of the calculation. We obtain finite intensity on magnetic superlattice spots, about three orders of magnitude smaller than on orbital superlattice spots, by taking account of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI). No intensity appears without the SOI, indicating that the intensity arises not from the spin polarization but from the orbital polarization in $4p$ states. The present calculation reproduces well the experimental spectra as functions of photon energy and of azimuthal angle. We also calculate the RXS intensity on orbital superlattice spots. It is found that the intensity increases with increasing Jahn-Teller distortion. The spectra remain nearly the same in the nonmagnetic state given by the simple LDA, in which the orbital polarization in the 3d states is much smaller. This strongly suggests that the intensity on orbital spots is mainly controlled by the lattice distortion, not by the 3d orbital order itself.