CONTRIBUTION OF NONRADIATIVE ELECTRON-ENERGY LOSSES TO THE STRUCTURE OF INVERSE-PHOTOEMISSION SPECTRA

We have considered the effects of electron energy losses on experiment ally measured inverse-photoemission spectra. The approximations needed to cast the equations for inverse photoemission into a form such that the measured inverse-photoemission spectrum can be expressed as the c onvolution of two functions-the true spectrum and a response function- are discussed qualitatively. The true spectrum is the inverse-photoemi ssion spectrum that would result if there were no inelastic background present. The response function is the energy spectrum of the inelasti cally scattered incident electrons inside the sample; it is modeled by an electron-energy-loss spectrum. The true spectrum is found by decon voluting the response function from the measured spectrum. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that an experimentally measured respons e function has been used for background subtraction in ultraviolet inv erse photoemission. Results of this background subtraction method are presented for inverse-photoemission spectra of polycrystalline silver and UHV-cleaved V2O5(001).