Resonant and non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Due to the rapid development in the instrumentation at the synchrotron radiation facilities, inelastic x-ray scattering has become a widely used tool in the studies of condensed matter during the past decade. Intense and tunable radiation with specific polarization properties has made it possible to study subtle details in the ground and the excited states of the electronic systems. One of the major strengths of the inelastic scattering technique is the possibility of controlling both the energy and the momentum transfers. In this paper a brief theoretical introduction to inelastic x-ray scattering is given and recent experimental results are presented and reviewed.