Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy investigations of 1111 and 122 iron pnictides

Abstract Soft X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy was used to investigate the electronic structure of BaFe 2 As 2 and oxygen-vacated PrFeAsO iron pnictides. The effect of carrier doping on the conduction band was investigated. Iron–arsenic hybridized spectral features reveal that Fe–As bonding is involved in the process of electron addition near the Fermi-level for PrFeAsO. X-ray spectra reveals an increase in the Fe density of states at the PrFeAsO Fermi-level as the doping decreases. This doping dependent electronic behavior indicates the possibility of a magnetic instability in undoped PrFeAsO.