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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen
TT 25: f-Electron Systems
TT 25.2: Vortrag
Dienstag, 10. März 2026, 09:45–10:00, HSZ/0101
Rare-earth nitrides: nitrogen stoichiometry, 4f valence, and the role of the rare-earth 5d states in SmN — Anna Meléndez-Sans1, Vanda M. Pereira1, Chun-Fu Chang1, Chang-Yang Kuo1,2,3, Chien-Te Chen2, Liu Hao Tjeng1, and •Simone G. Altendorf1 — 1Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden, Germany — 2National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan — 3Department of Electrophysics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
We report on the influence of nitrogen stoichiometry on the electronic structure of epitaxial rare-earth nitride (REN) thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy under ultra-high vacuum base conditions using moderate growth conditions, i.e., slow deposition rates, and moderate temperatures and pressures. The systematic variation of the growth parameters enables precise control of the nitrogen content and the preparation of near-stoichiometric, well-ordered REN thin films [1,2]. Using samarium nitride as a critical model system, we present a combined x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy study that reveals the dependence of the rare-earth valence and electronic structure on the nitrogen content. Our findings suggest that the RE 5d states may play a crucial role in the nitrogen-deficient samples, as the empty states can stabilize the RE 4f valence by hosting the extra electrons.
[1] V. M. Pereira et al., Phys. Rev. Mater. 7, 124405 (2023)
[2] A. Meléndez-Sans et al., Phys. Rev. B 110, 045120 (2024)
Keywords: rare-earth nitride; electronic structure; x-ray spectroscopy; doping; 4f valence