In situ resonant photoemission and X-ray absorption study of the BiFeO3 thin film

TL;DR

This study investigates the electronic structure of BiFeO3 thin films using in situ resonant photoemission and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, revealing details about Fe valence, crystal field splitting, and hybridization effects.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the electronic structure and hybridization mechanisms in BiFeO3 thin films using in situ spectroscopic techniques.

Findings

Fe ions are in +3 valence state

Oxygen octahedral crystal field splits Fe 3d states

Fe 3d and O 2p hybridization is significant

Abstract

Multiferroic bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Electronic structures of the film have been studied by in situ photoemission spectroscopy (PES) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Both the Fe 2p PES and XAS spectra show that Fe ion is formally in +3 valence state. The Fe 2p and O K edge XAS spectra indicate that the oxygen octahedral crystal ligand field splits the unoccupied Fe 3d state to t2g and eg states. Valence band Fe 2p-3d resonant photoemission results indicate that hybridization between Fe 3d and O 2p plays important role in the multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films.