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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Probing buried layers by photoelectron spectromicroscopy with hard x-ray excitation

We report about a proof-of-principle experiment which explores the perspectives of performing hard x-ray photoemission spectromicroscopy with high lateral resolution. Our results obtained with an energy-filtered photoemission microscope at the PETRA III storage ring facility using hard x-ray excitation up to 6.5 keV photon energy demonstrate that it is possible to obtain selected-area x-ray photoemission spectra from regions less than 500 nm in diameter.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Heterojunction band offsets and dipole formation at BaTiO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces

We used a complement of photoemission and cathodoluminescence techniques to measure formation of the BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) on SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) heterojunction band offset grown monolayer by monolayer by molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) provided core level and valence band edge energies to monitor the valence band offset in-situ as the first few crystalline BTO monolayers formed on the STO substrate. Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) measured Fermi level positions within the band gap, work functions, and ionization potentials of the growing BTO film. Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy measured energies and densities of interface states at the buried heterojunction. Kraut-based XPS heterojunction band offsets provided evidence for STO/BTO heterojunction linearity, i.e., commutativity and transitivity. In contrast, UPS and XPS revealed a large dipole associated either with local charge transfer or strain-induced polarization within the BTO epilayer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Favorable electronic structure for organic solar cells induced by strong interaction at interface

To clarify the role of buffer layer in organic solar cells (OSCs), the electronic properties of bathocuproine (BCP)/Mg interface were systematically investigated by using ultraviolet photoemissions spectroscopy, high-resolution X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, angle-resolved X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The results show there are gap states at the interface, which are caused by the interaction between BCP and Mg. The formation of Mg-N bond was found at the interface. The NEXAFS measurements show that BCP molecules for 1-2 monolayers are lying-down on the substrate, whereas orient randomly for thick BCP layer. It was supposed that the gap states and the highly-ordered orientation of thin BCP layer are the reasons for improving the performance of OSC with BCP buffer layer and low work function metal cathode.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electronic structure of Fe{sub 3}Si on Si(100) substrates

The improved performance of large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs) by the shrinking of devices is becoming difficult due to physical limitations. Here we report, the growth and formation of Fe{sub 3}Si on Si(100) and characterized by x-ray photoemission, UV photoemission and low energy electron diffraction to study the electronic structure. The results revealed that the DO{sub 3} phase formation is exist and photoemission results also support the electron diffraction outcome.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electronic structure evolution in doping of fullerene (C{sub 60}) by molybdenum trioxide

Molybdenum oxide doping of fullerene has been investigated using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), and inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES). The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) can be observed directly with IPES and UPS. It is observed that the Fermi level position in fullerene is modified by molybdenum oxide doping, and the HOMO onset is shifted to less than 0.3 eV below the Fermi level. The energy level shift is found to saturate at doping ratio of 18%. Till this stage, the shift depends on the doping concentration in a semi-logarithmic scale, with a slope substantially higher than that of the traditional semiconductor theory. The XPS results indicate that charge transfer continues beyond the energy level shift saturation till the doping ratio reaches 66% as evidenced by the Mo{sup 5+} component. At higher doping concentration, there is more Mo{sup 6+} component, which indicates the saturation of the charge transfer between MoO{sub x} and C{sub 60}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electron mean free path from angle-dependent photoelectron spectroscopy of aerosol particles

We propose angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy of aerosol particles as an alternative way to determine the electron mean free path of low energy electrons in solid and liquid materials. The mean free path is obtained from fits of simulated photoemission images to experimental ones over a broad range of different aerosol particle sizes. The principal advantage of the aerosol approach is twofold. First, aerosol photoemission studies can be performed for many different materials, including liquids. Second, the size-dependent anisotropy of the photoelectrons can be exploited in addition to size-dependent changes in their kinetic energy. These finite size effects depend in different ways on the mean free path and thus provide more information on the mean free path than corresponding liquid jet, thin film, or bulk data. The present contribution is a proof of principle employing a simple model for the photoemission of electrons and preliminary experimental data for potassium chloride aerosol particles.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thermal limit to the intrinsic emittance from metal photocathodes

Measurements of the intrinsic emittance and transverse momentum distributions obtained from a metal (antimony thin film) photocathode near and below the photoemission threshold are presented. Measurements show that the intrinsic emittance is limited by the lattice temperature of the cathode as the incident photon energy approaches the photoemission threshold. A theoretical model to calculate the transverse momentum distributions near this photoemission threshold is presented. An excellent match between the experimental measurements and the theoretical calculations is demonstrated. These measurements are relevant to low emittance electron sources for Free Electron Lasers and Ultrafast Electron Diffraction experiments.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Strong 3p-T{sub 1u} hybridization in Ar-C{sub 60}

Multilayers of fullerenes with and without endohedral Ar units, Ar-C{sub 60} and C{sub 60}, were investigated by photoemission and density-functional theory. The stoichiometry and the endohedral nature of Ar were checked by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron diffraction. Valence-band ultraviolet photoemission spectra showed a strong hybridization of the Ar 3p valence shell with the 6T{sub 1u} molecular orbital of C{sub 60}. A hybridization gap of 1.6 {+-} 0.2 eV was found. This is in agreement with density-functional theory, which predicts 1.47 eV and indicates that Ar-C{sub 60} is a noble gas compound with a strong coupling between Ar and the C{sub 60} cage. No giant Ar photoemission cross section as previously predicted for the gas phase in Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 243003 (2007) was found.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

First-Principles Treatment of Vibrational Broadening in X-Ray Excited Valence Band Spectra for n-SrTiO 3 (001)

The valence band maximum (VBM) is an important quantity for semiconductors as it locates the Fermi level relative to the band edge. Accurate measurement of this quantity in near-surface regions of semiconductors by photoemission is a first step toward determining the electronic properties of heterostructures involving these materials. While extrapolating the leading edge of the valence band to the energy axis in photoemission spectra is a widely used way to find the VBM, this method can be ambiguous if the leading edge exhibits multiple slopes. Another way to determine the VBM is to fit the leading edge to an appropriately broadened, cross-section modulated theoretical density of states (DOS). Three kinds of broadening that should be included for maximum accuracy are those due to: (1) finite instrumental resolution, (2) valence hole lifetime, and (3) vibrational excitations. While steps (1) and (2) are straightforward to implement, (3) is more difficult because the appropriate amount of broadening is not known a priori. Here, we demonstrate that explicit inclusion of vibrational broadening using ab initio molecular dynamics facilitates accurate VBM determination for n-SrTiO 3 (001). The total DOS is constructed by summing time-averaged projections at elevated temperature onto s - , p - , and d orbitals for the constituent atoms and modulating with the associated photoemission cross sections. Subsequent convolutions of the total DOS, first with a Gaussian of width equal to the experimental energy resolution and second with a Lorentzian to simulate valence hole lifetime effects, yield line shapes that reproduce the experimental leading edges rather well. The VBM is then given by the energy at which the vibrationally broadened total DOS (prior to the convolutions) goes to zero. The VBMs generated by this method quantitatively agree with those resulting from extrapolating from the middle of the measured leading edge for SrTiO 3 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of paramagnetic spin-degeneracy lifting in EuZn 2 Sb 2

Taken together, time-reversal and spatial inversion symmetries impose a twofold spin degeneracy of the electronic states in crystals. In centrosymmetric materials, this degeneracy can be lifted by introducing magnetism, either via an externally applied field or through internal magnetization. However, a correlated alignment of spins, even in the paramagnetic phase, can lift the spin degeneracy of electronic states. Here, we report an in-depth study of the electronic band structure of the Eu-ternary pnictide EuZn 2 Sb 2 through a combination of high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and first-principles calculations. An analysis of the photoemission line shapes over a range of incident photon energies and sample temperatures is shown to reveal the presence of band spin-degeneracy lifting in the paramagnetic phase. Our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy results are in good agreement with theoretical ferromagnetic-phase calculations, which indicates the importance of ferromagnetic fluctuations in the system. Through our calculations, we predict that spin-polarized bands in EuZn 2 Sb 2 generate a single pair of Weyl nodes. Our observation of band splittingin EuZn 2 Sb 2 provides a key step toward realizing time-reversal symmetry breaking physics in the absence of long-range magnetic order.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Chirality in the Kagome Metal CsV 3 ⁢Sb 5

Using x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we study photoemission intensity changes related to changes in the geometric and electronic structure in the kagome metal CsV 3 ⁢Sb 5 upon transition to an unconventional charge density wave (CDW) state. The XPD patterns reveal the presence of a chiral atomic structure in the CDW phase. Furthermore, using circularly polarized x-rays, we have found a pronounced nontrivial circular dichroism in the angular distribution of the valence band photoemission in the CDW phase, indicating a chirality of the electronic structure. This observation is consistent with the proposed orbital loop current order. In view of a negligible spontaneous Kerr signal in recent magneto-optical studies, the results suggest an antiferromagnetic coupling of the orbital magnetic moments along the 𝑐 axis. Here, while the inherent structural chirality may also induce circular dichroism, the observed asymmetry values seem to be too large in the case of the weak structural distortions caused by the CDW.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Diverse Manifestations of Electron-Phonon Coupling in a Kagome Superconductor

Recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments on the kagome metal CsV_{3}Sb_{5} revealed distinct multimodal dispersion kinks and nodeless superconducting gaps across multiple electron bands. The prominent photoemission kinks suggest a definitive coupling between electrons and certain collective modes, yet the precise nature of this interaction and its connection to superconductivity remain to be established. Here, employing the state-of-the-art ab initio many-body perturbation theory computation, we present direct evidence that electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling induces the multimodal photoemission kinks in CsV_{3}Sb_{5}, and profoundly, drives the nodeless s-wave superconductivity, showcasing the diverse manifestations of the e-ph coupling. Our calculations well capture the experimentally measured kinks and their fine structures, and reveal that vibrations from different atomic species dictate the multimodal behavior. Results from anisotropic GW-Eliashberg equations predict a phonon-mediated superconductivity with nodeless s-wave gaps, in excellent agreement with various ARPES and scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements. Despite the universal origin of the e-ph coupling, the contributions of several characteristic phonon vibrations vary in different phenomena, highlighting a versatile role of e-ph coupling in shaping the low-energy excitations of kagome metals.

Electron-phonon coupling↗
DOE OSTI2012

Equivalent-circuit model for vacuum ultraviolet irradiation of dielectric films

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation, which occurs during plasma processing, causes photoemission of electrons from the dielectrics. Photoemission primarily occurs from defect states in the band gap of the dielectric and results in trapped positive charges. The trapped positive charges are negated by photoinjection of electrons from the underlying substrate into the dielectric. The authors propose an equivalent-circuit model using with which, once the circuit parameters are determined, charging of dielectric materials under VUV irradiation can be predicted. The circuit includes a dielectric capacitor, the intrinsic and photo conductivities of the dielectric and substrate, and the processes of photoemission and photoinjection.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Understanding and Controlling Conductivity Transitions in Correlated Solids: Spectroscopic Studies of Electronic Structure in Vanadates (Final Report)

This research project is focused on synchrotron radiation based x-ray spectroscopic studies of the metal to insulator transition in vanadium oxides. In doing so, we developed a fundamental understanding of the origins of conductivity transitions in correlated electron materials. Conductivity transitions can be driven by external and internal mechanisms, including electric and magnetic fields, chemical doping, defects, disorder, pressure, dimensionality, and temperature. Vanadium oxides, and vanadium dioxide in particular, display particularly complex electronic phenomena. Binary vanadium oxides, and ternary oxides with substituted metal cations, exhibit a broad range of complex conductivity transitions, as well as charge ordering transitions, structural phase transitions, frustrated spin structures, superconductivity, and unusual magnetic properties. As such, vanadates are a prototypical class of correlated material, where fundamentally important physical themes can be explored, both experimentally and theoretically. The experimental tools used were soft x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), resonant inelastic soft x ray scattering (RIXS), x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and spectroscopic photoemission low energy electron microscopy (SPELEEM). This broad range of techniques delivered data that was used to understand the electronic structure in these oxides. Vanadium oxides as single crystals, thin films, polycrystalline powders, and nanoparticles were studied to determine the influence of the physical structure the materials properties. A rich and varied selection of experiments were performed, and by combining the information gathered by our x-ray spectroscopic techniques, we developed a comprehensive understanding of electronic structure in vanadium oxides. We measured band structures and Fermi surfaces, studied the coupling between collective excitations and quasi-particles, measured the local, site and element specific electronic structure, as well as the cation charge state, measured orbital hybridization, and measured element specific low energy valence excitations such as dd* and charge transfer excitations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Spectroscopic characterization of N = 9 armchair graphene nanoribbons

In this study, we investigate the N = 9 atoms wide armchair-type graphene nanoribbons (9-AGNRs) by performing a comprehensive spectroscopic and microscopic characterization of this novel material. In particular, we use X-ray photoelectron, near edge X-ray absorption fine structure, scanning tunneling, polarized Raman and angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) spectroscopies. The ARPES measurements are aided by calculations of the photoemission matrix elements which yield the position in k space having the strongest photoemission cross section. Comparison with well-studied narrow N = 7 AGNRs shows that the effective electron mass in 9-AGNRs is reduced by two times and the valence band maximum is shifted to lower binding energy by ~0.6 eV. In polarized Raman measurements of the aligned 9-AGNR, we reveal anisotropic signal depending upon the phonon symmetry. To conclude, our results indicate the 9-AGNRs are a novel 1D semiconductor with a high potential in nanoelectronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Surface analysis insight note: Synthetic line shapes, integration regions and relative sensitivity factors

Here, methods for estimating photoemission intensity from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data are examined. The role played by “synthetic” bell-shaped curves, integration intervals, background curves, and the use of relative sensitivity factors (RSFs) in reporting percentage atomic concentration for a sample is presented. In particular, photoemission lines with differing energy distributions obtained from the NaCl sample surface are used to demonstrate how a comparison of photoemission intensities is dependent on the line shapes, background curves, and appropriate use of RSFs.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Deriving Stable Peak Models to Fit Complex XPS Data From Cu Contaminated Pt Electrocatalysts

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy spectra peak models, designed to partition photoemission signals emanating from different elements or chemical states within an atom, are fitted to data limited to an energy interval over which inelastically scattered photoemission signal can be estimated. While the choice of background approximation and line shapes of components to the peak model requires careful consideration, the energy interval used to define the data to which the peak model is optimized has a significant impact on the final peak model. The relationship between the background intensity and data intensity at the start and end of the energy interval dictates the line shapes used in the peak model. In this work, we devise a method to peak fit a complex overlapping Cu 3p and Pt 4f XPS peak structure to perform the elemental quantification. We first use an Al 2s peak to illustrate how background curves approach data at the limits of the energy interval over which the background is defined, influencing the analysis of XPS spectra. Next, we demonstrate the nature of interactions between specific line shapes (Voigt and pseudo-Voigt profiles) suitable for photoemission peaks and a specific background curve (Shirley) and a peak model is presented that includes components to the peak model that accommodates background intensity during fitting of the peak model to data. The peak model allowed for quantification of the contributions of Pt 4f peaks emanating from the substrate that exhibits strong asymmetry in the presence of the inhomogeneously distributed Cu species, mostly of Lorentzian character.

XPS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Polarization control at the microscopic and electronic structure observatory

The new Microscopic and Electronic Structure Observatory (MAESTRO) at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in Berkeley provides X-rays of variable polarization, produced by an elliptically polarized undulator (EPU), for angle resolved photoemission (ARPES) and photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) experiments. The interpretation of photoemission data, in particular of dichroism effects in ARPES, requires the precise knowledge of the exact polarization state. Numerical simulations show that the first harmonics of the EPU at MAESTRO provides soft X-rays of almost 100% on axis polarization. However, the higher harmonics as well as the downstream optical elements of the beamline, have a considerable impact on the polarization of the light delivered to the experimental end-station. Finally, employing a simple reflective polarimeter, the polarization is characterized for variable EPU and beamline settings and the overall degree of polarization in the MAESTRO end-stations is estimated to be on the order of 83%.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗