Multiple scattering x-ray photoelectron diffraction study of the SrTiO3(100) surface

Abstract

The atomic surface structure of SrTiO3(100) after annealing at 630 °C in vacuum is investigated by x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) using the Sr 3d5/2 core level. The photoelectron diffraction peaks are successfully assigned by considering the forward scattering of photoelectrons by the atomic potential near the emitter atom in the lattice. The strongest diffraction peaks are aligned along the single crystal internuclear axes. We compare the results of photoelectron multiple scattering calculations (MSC) of SrO and TiO2 terminated SrTiO3(100) surfaces, including surface relaxation and rumpling, with the experimental data. For TiO2 and SrO terminated SrTiO3(100) surfaces, all top-layer cations relax inward, whereas second-layer atoms relax outward. The surface rumpling for SrO- and TiO2-terminated surfaces agrees well with low-energy electron diffraction results. Using a genetic algorithm the best agreement of MSC to the experimental XPD data is obtained for a SrO terminated surface with a 30% coverage of 3 ML SrO(100) islands.