Linear dichroism in resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to molecular spin-orbit states

Polarization-dependent resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is shown to be a new probe of molecular-field effects on the electronic structure of isolated molecules. A combined experimental and theoretical analysis explains the linear dichroism observed in Cl 2p RIXS following Cl 1s excitation in HCl and CF3Cl as due to molecular-field effects, including singlet-triplet exchange, indicating polarized-RIXS provides a direct probe of spin-orbit-state populations applicable to any molecule.