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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 95: Electronic Structure of Surfaces II: Spectroscopy, Surface States

O 95.6: Talk

Thursday, March 21, 2024, 16:15–16:30, MA 144

On the unoccupied electronic structure of Fe₃O₄(100) — •Jan Bieling and Markus Donath — Universität Münster, Germany

The (100) surface of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) undergoes a (√2 × √2)R45^∘ reconstruction. While its occupied states have been extensively investigated, studies addressing the empty ones are lacking.

We examined the unoccupied electronic structure of a pristine and well-characterized Fe₃O₄(100) surface by angle-resolved inverse photoemission. A threefold split, almost non-dispersive 3d-related spectral feature is observed. It is attributed to band groups originating from tetrahedrally and octahedrally coordinated iron atoms. The latter give rise to two spectral features since the t_2g and e_g orbitals are non-degenerate due to crystal-field splitting.

Based on our present study, we showcase the inherent limitations of using the second derivative to analyze electron spectroscopical data. Extracted peak positions can significantly deviate from the underlying ones, as demonstrated by synthetically generated spectra.

Keywords: magnetite; inverse photoemission