Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering from transition metal oxides.

Recent developments in hard x-ray resonant inelastic x-ray scattering as a probe of strongly correlated systems are reviewed. Particular attention is paid to studies of Nd[sub 2]CuO[sub 4]. A charge transfer excitation is observed when the incident photon energy is tuned in the vicinity of the copper K-edge. It is shown that the presence of resonant enhancements is controlled by the polarization dependence of the excitation process and by the overlap between a given intermediate state and the particular excitation being studied. This latter observation has shed light on the non-local effects present in certain intermediate states. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]