Photoemission and x-ray absorption of the electronic structure of multiferroic RMnO3 (R=Y,Er)

Abstract

Electronic structures of multiferroic RMnO3 (R=Y,Er) have been investigated by employing photoemission spectroscopy (PES) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). We have found that Mn ions in RMnO3 are in the trivalent high-spin state with the total spin of S=2. The occupied Mn (d(xz)-d(yz)) states lie deep below E-F, while the occupied Mn (d(xy)-d(x)(-y)(2)(2)) states overlap very much with the O 2p states. It is observed that the PES spectral intensity of Mn 3d states is negligible above the occupied O 2p bands, suggesting that YMnO3 is likely to be a charge-transfer insulator. The Mn d(3z)(-r)(2)(2) state is mostly unoccupied in the ferroelectric phase of YMnO3.