RESONANT INELASTIC SOFT-X-RAY SCATTERING FROM VALENCE-BAND EXCITATIONS IN 3D(0) COMPOUNDS

Ti and Mn L(alpha,beta) x-ray fluorescence spectra of FeTiO3 and KMnO4 were measured with monochromatic photon excitation on selected energi es across the L(2,3) absorption edges. The resulting inelastic x-ray-s cattering structures and their changes with varying excitation energie s are interpreted within the framework of a localized, many-body appro ach based on the Anderson impurity model, where the radiative process is characterized by transitions to low-energy interionic-charge-transf er excited states. Sweeping the excitation energy through the metal 2p threshold enhances the fluorescence transitions to the antibonding st ates pushed out of the band of continuous states due to strong metal 3 d-ligand 2p hybridization and matching the low-photon-energy satellite s in the spectra. Based on the energy position of these charge-transfe r satellites with respect to the recombination peak the effective meta l 3d-ligand 2p hybridization strength in the ground state of the syste m can be estimated directly from the experiment.