Resonant photoemission as a tool to study f and d electrons in actinide compounds

Abstract

Using synchrotron radiation in the energy range 60h130 eV, we have measured h-dependent photoemission energy distribution curves and constant-initial-state spectra from single crystals of UxTh1-xSb, UTe, UO2, and UPd3. The U 5f and U and Th 6d conduction bands, as well as the Sb and Te 5p valence-band emission, all exhibit Fano-type resonance behavior at the 5d core ionization thresholds. The 5f emission shows the strongest intensity variation, which can be explained by the super-Coster-Kronig character of the decay of the autoionizing core excited state. Thus f and d emission features in the photoemission spectra are unambiguously identified by their different resonance behavior. It is concluded that the spectra are dominated by localized 5f states in all of these compounds. © 1982 The American Physical Society.