Image potential states at transition metal oxide surfaces: A time-resolved two-photon photoemission study on ultrathin NiO films

For well-ordered ultrathin films of NiO(001) on Ag(001), a series of unoccupied states below the vacuum level has been found. The states show a nearly free electron dispersion and binding energies which are typical for image potential states. By time-resolved two-photon photoemission (2PPE), the lifetimes of the first three states and their dependence on oxide film thickness are determined. For NiO film thicknesses between 2 and 4 monolayers (ML), the lifetime of the first state is in the range of 28–42 fs and shows an oscillatory behavior with increasing thickness. The values for the second state decrease monotonically from 88 fs for 2 ML to 33 fs for 4 ML. These differences are discussed in terms of coupling of the unoccupied states to the layer-dependent electronic structure of the growing NiO film

Electron pair emission from surfaces: some general experimental considerations

We discuss some experimental facets of electron pair emission from surfaces using two different experimental approaches. In the first case the instrument consists of a pair of hemispherical analyzers which are operated with continuous primary beams of electrons or photons. The second instrument employs a pair of time-of-flight spectrometers which require a pulsed excitation source. A key experimental quantity is the ratio of ‘true’ to ‘random’ coincidences which can be determined in different ways. Regardless of the type of instrument the primary flux has to adopt a much smaller value than in single electron spectroscopy. We describe different approaches to obtain the relevant count rates, in particular the concept of operating with a delayed coincidence circuit. We also address the question on how to compare the two types of spectrometer in terms of their performance

Extended energy range analysis for angle-resolved time-of-flight photoelectron spectroscopy

An approximation method for electrostatic time-of-flight (ToF) spectroscopy on photoelectrons distributed over a wide energy range is presented. This method is an extension of conventional analysis and aims at specific energy and angular regions, where distinctly different emission angles and energies are mapped to the same ToF and detector position by the spectrometer. The general formulation and the systematic errors are presented, and a practical example is demonstrated for photoelectrons from Ag(001) with kinetic energies of 0.5–25 eV

Surface stress and lattice dynamics in oxide ultrathin films

The lattice misfit between the substrate and an epitaxial film leads in general to static forces, which define the interface stress, and dynamic responses that modify the thin-film lattice dynamics. Although these are both fundamental concepts that are important for film growth and thin-film properties, they have not been investigated in a combined way so far. Therefore, herein, surface stress experiments in combination with surface phonon studies for three different, cubic oxide ultrathin film systems are reviewed. Within the class of binary oxides, NiO(001) grown on Ag(001) is chosen, which exhibits a -2.2% lattice mismatch, and BaO(001) on Pt(001), a system with a negligible lattice mismatch. For the ternary oxides, perovskite thin films of BaTiO3 grown epitaxially on Pt(001) with a lattice mismatch of -2.3% are focused upon. The surface stress experiments are conducted with an optical two-beam curvature technique under in situ growth conditions. Surface and thin-film phonons are determined by high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. Surface stress and lattice dynamics are discussed in the range from the oxide monolayer to thin films of about 20 unit cell in thickness