  Free-standing thin films of magnetic ion intercalated transition metal
dichalcogenides are produced using ultramicrotoming techniques. Films of
thicknesses ranging from 30nm to 250nm were achieved and characterized using
transmission electron diffraction and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism.
Diffraction measurements visualize the long range crystallographic ordering of
the intercalated ions, while the dichroism measurements directly assess the
orbital contributions to the total magnetic moment. We thus verify the
unquenched orbital moment in Fe0.25TaS2 and measure the fully quenched orbital
contribution in Mn0.25TaS2. Such films can be used in a wide variety of
ultrafast X-ray and electron techniques that benefit from transmission
geometries, and allow measurements of ultrafast structural, electronic, and
magnetization dynamics in space and time.
