High-energy electron-energy-loss study of sodium-tungsten bronzes.

Single-crystal metallic cubic sodium-tungsten bronzes NaxWO3 (x0.25) and NaxTayW1-yO3 (x-y=0.42) and monoclinic reduced WO3-δ have been investigated by high-energy electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in transmission. For all electron densities the volume plasmon dispersion appears to be positiv...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kielwein, M, Saiki, K, Roth, G, Fink, J, Paasch, G, Egdell, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1995
Description
Summary:Single-crystal metallic cubic sodium-tungsten bronzes NaxWO3 (x0.25) and NaxTayW1-yO3 (x-y=0.42) and monoclinic reduced WO3-δ have been investigated by high-energy electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in transmission. For all electron densities the volume plasmon dispersion appears to be positive quadratic in momentum transfer q. The dispersion coefficient is much smaller than that predicted from the random-phase approximation for one isotropic parabolic band. This deviation can be reduced by recognizing the threefold degeneracy of the conduction-band t2g states in an octahedral field and narrowing of these bands with increasing sodium content. Anisotropy of the dispersion between the (100) and (110) direction is not observed. Optical effective masses m*(x) of the conduction electrons and background dielectric constants ε(x) have been determined and compare well with data from optical spectroscopy and EELS in reflection, but not with photoemission results. This discrepancy is a result of the photoemission-data evaluation in which the conduction-band degeneracy was neglected. Na 2p core-level excitation energies argue against an admixture of sodium orbitals to the conduction band near the metal-nonmetal transition at x∼0.2. Na 3s states admixed to O 2p states are observed at about 10-11 eV above the Fermi level in O 1s absorption edges. The x dependence of m* and of the width of the O 1s absorption edge of NaxWO3 supports a model of conduction-band narrowing with increasing Na concentration. © 1995 The American Physical Society.