Electronic Structure of the cubic perovskite SrMn1-xFexO3 investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Abstract

The electronic structures of SrMn(1-x)Fe(x)O(3) (0 <= x <= 1) have been investigated by using photoemission spectroscopy (PES), soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Both Mn and Fe ions are found to be nearly tetravalent for the whole range of x in SrMn(1-x)Fe(x)O(3). Valence-band PES measurements show the broader Fe 3d (t(2g)(3)e(g)(1)) bands than the Mn 3d (t(2g)(3)) bands and the finite metallic intensity near E(F) in the Fe 3d PES of SrFeO(3) in agreement with the metallic ground state of SrFeO(3). The Fe 2p XMCD spectra exhibit the enhanced XMCD effect for 0.6 <= x <= 0.8 in SrMn(1-x)Fe(x)O(3), which is consistent with the spin-glass behavior in the intermediate substitution, while the Mn 2p states exhibit the negligible XMCD effect.