Advanced data analysis procedure for hard x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity discussed for Pt thin film samples of various complexity

X-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity (XRMR) is a potent method to determine the optical, structural and magnetic depth profiles of a variety of thin films. Here, we investigate samples of different complexity all measured at the Pt L3 absorption edge to determine the optimal procedure for the analysis of the experimental XRMR curves, especially for nontrivial bi- and multilayer samples that include differently bonded Pt from layer to layer. The software tool ReMagX is used to fit these data and model the magnetooptic depth profiles based on a highly adaptable layer stack which is modified to be a more precise and physically consistent representation of the real multilayer system. Various fitting algorithms, iterative optimization approaches and a detailed analysis of the asymmetry ratio features as well as χ2 (goodness of fit) landscapes are utilized to improve the agreement between measurements and simulations. We present a step-by-step analysis procedure tailored to the Pt thin film systems to take advantage of the excellent magnetic sensitivity and depth resolution of XRMR.