Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is an automated technique that can measure the orientation of crystals in a sample very rapidly. There are many sophisticated software packages that present measured data. Unfortunately, due to crystal symmetry and differences in the set-up of microscope and EBSD software, there may be accuracy issues when linking the crystal orientation to a particular microstructural feature. In this paper we outline a series of conventions used to describe crystal orientations and coordinate systems. These conventions have been used to successfully demonstrate that a consistent frame of reference is used in the sample, unit cell, pole figure and diffraction pattern frames of reference. We establish a coordinate system rooted in measurement of the diffraction pattern and subsequently link this to all other coordinate systems. A fundamental outcome of this analysis is to note that the beamshift coordinate system needs to be precisely defined for consistent 3D microstructure analysis. This is supported through a series of case studies examining particular features of the microscope settings and/or unambiguous crystallographic features. These case studies can be generated easily in most laboratories and represent an opportunity to demonstrate confidence in use of recorded orientation data. Finally, we include a simple software tool, written in both MATLAB® and Python, which the reader can use to compare consistency with their own microscope set-up and which may act as a springboard for further offline analysis.

We grew tetragonally distorted ${\mathrm{Fe}}_x{\mathrm{Co}}_{1-x}$ alloy films on Pd(001). Theoretical first-principles calculations for such films predicted a high saturation magnetization and a high uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energy for specific values of the lattice distortion $c/a$ and the alloy composition $x$. The magnetic anisotropy was investigated using the magneto-optical Kerr effect. An out-of-plane easy axis of magnetization was observed for ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Co}}_{0.5}$ films in the thickness range of 4 to 14 monolayers. The magnetic anisotropy energy induced by the tetragonal distortion is estimated to be almost 2 orders of magnitude larger than the value for bulk FeCo alloys. Using LEED Kikuchi patterns, a change of the easy axis of magnetization can be related to a decrease of the tetragonal distortion with thickness.

We report on an imaging spin-filter for electrons. The specular reflection of low-energy electrons at the surface of a tungsten single crystal is used to project a spin-filtered two-dimensional image onto a position sensitive detector. Spin-filtering is based on the spin-dependent reflectivity of electrons due to spin-orbit coupling in the scattering target, while a two-dimensional field of view, encoded in the angle of incidence, is conserved in the outgoing beam. We characterize the efficiency of the spin-filter by recording photoelectron emission microscopy images of the magnetic domain structure of 8 monolayers cobalt grown on copper (100).

The spins of a pair of spin-orbit split surface states at a metal surface are usually antiparallelly aligned, in accord with the Rashba model for a two-dimensional electron gas. By first-principles calculations and two-photon photoemission experiments we provide evidence that in the surface alloy Bi/Cu(111) the spins of an unoccupied pair of surface states are parallelly aligned. This unconventional spin polarization, which is not consistent with that imposed by the Rashba model, is explained by hybridization of surface states with different orbital character and is attributed to the spin-orbit interaction. Since hybridization is a fundamental effect our findings are relevant for spin electronics in general.