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Title: Valence charge fluctuations in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-//sub delta/ from core-level spectroscopies

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

From x-ray photoemission and Auger measurements of the Cu 2p and O 1s core levels of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-//sub delta/ as a function of the oxygen concentration delta, the average copper charge is determined. Evidence is found of dynamic charge fluctuations on the oxygen sublattice giving rise to a greater concentration of trivalent copper at the Cu(1) sites with respect to that determined by the analysis of neutron-diffraction data. On the basis of our experimental results, we introduce a molecular cluster description for the Cu states. The lowest final-states configurations of Cu/sup 2+/ and Cu/sup 3+/ are c3d/sup 10/L and c3d/sup 10/L/sup 2/, respectively, where c and L denote core holes on copper and oxygen atoms. Oxygen holes have high mobility and a Hubbard correlation energy less than 2 eV, a signature of their delocalization. The effect of temperature on the spectra is minor. Surface degradation modifies the relative intensity of the structures, particularly those of the O spectrum.

Research Organization:
Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita degli Studi di Roma II, via Orazio Raimondo, I-00173 Roma, Italy
OSTI ID:
6934482
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Vol. 38:10
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English