Many-electron effect in the resonant L 23-M 23V Auger-electron spectrum of Ti metal

Abstract

Above the L23 absorption edge the L 23-M 23V resonant Auger-electron spectroscopy (RAES) spectrum of Ti metal shows a normal L 23-M 23V Auger decay spectrum at a constant kinetic energy (K.E.). Here LX and MY are the atomic shells L x and M y, respectively. Apart from a weak spectral feature of the L2-M23V Auger transition appearing around the L2 edge, the RAES spectra of Ti meal show a very little difference between the L2 and L3 regions [P. Le Fèvre, J. Danger, H. Magnan, D. Chandesris, J. Jupille, S. Bourgeois, M.-A. Arrio, R. Gotter, A. Verdini, A. Morgante, Phys. Rev. B69 (2004) 155421]. It is shown that the time scale of relaxation of the resonantly excited L23-hole state to the L23-electron ionized state is much shorter than that of the L23-hole decay so that the L 23-M 23V RAES spectrum of Ti metal resembles much the normal L 23-M 23V Auger decay spectrum. The relaxation of the resonantly excited L23-hole state to the fully relaxed L23-hole state before the L23-hole decays, explains the extra width which is the primary cause of the discrepancy between the experimental high resolution near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectrum of Ti metal and the one calculated by the particle–hole Green's function including the Coulomb exchange interaction between the 2p hole and the 3d electron. The time scale of relaxation of the L3V two-hole state created by the L2-L3V Coster–Kronig (CK) decay to the single L3-hole state is much shorter than that of the L3-hole decay so that the L2-L3V-L3-M23V CK preceded Auger decay spectrum resembles much the L3-M23V Auger decay one.