Electronic structure of La0.7Ce0.3MnO3 thin film

The electronic structure of epitaxial thin films of La0.7Ce0.3MnO3 (LCeMO) has been investigated using photoemission spectroscopy (PES) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The measured valence-band PES, Ce 3d PES, and Ce 3d XAS spectra for LCeMO consistently indicate that the localized Ce 4f orbitals are almost unoccupied so that the Ce valence is nearly tetravalent. The Mn 2p XAS spectrum suggests Mn2+ and Mn3+ mixed-valent states of Mn ions in LCeMO. The LSDA + U calculation agrees better with the measured PES/XAS spectra than the LSDA calculation (U: the on-site Coulomb interaction). (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)