Rydberg resonances in spin polarised LEED

The Rydberg resonances in spin polarised LEED are investigated on the basis of the Pauli theory. The authors find that the reflection by the image potential barrier is practically spin independent, and that the resonant states depend on spin polarisation through the scattering in the metal proper. They establish that the shape of the spectrum of resonances depends on the spin polarisation, which in turn is determined by the material and the tilt of the primary beam. They are able to classify the variety of shapes that a piece of spectrum belonging to a Rydberg level can have. The outcome of the theory is compared with the result of two high-resolution LEED experiments, a recent one which used a polarised electron source and an earlier spin independent one.