Spin structure of spin-orbit split surface states in a magnetic material revealed by spin-integrated photoemission

Joint action of spin-orbit coupling and exchange magnetic interactions leads to a complex spin structure of electronic states, which is challenging to disentangle. Here, the authors show that in the presence of an in-plane magnetization, the effective spin-orbit and exchange fields create an asymmetry of the surface state dispersions that enables determination of the spin structure of these states without the use of a spin-sensitive instrument. The proposed approach can be a versatile tool for studying magnetic materials with strong relativistic effects.