ATL>Versatile apparatus for investigating ultrathin magnetic films.

We describe the construction and operation of an ultrahigh-vacuum system devoted to the study of thin film magnetism. The apparatus includes a growth chamber, where ultrathin films are deposited by molecular beam epitaxy, and a measurement chamber, where they are analyzed by a variety of electron spectroscopies. The electron spin can be controlled by using a fully characterized spin resolved electron gun and polarization analyzers. Test measurements on in situ grown Fe/MgO(001) samples are also presented as illustration of the system performances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]