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  Fürsich, K.; Pons, R.; Bluschke, M.; Ortiz, R.A.; Wintz, S.; Schierle, E.; Weigand, M.; Logvenov, G.; Schütz, G.; Keimer, B.: Oxygen Hole Character and Lateral Homogeneity in PrNiO_2+δ Thin Films. Frontiers in Physics 9 (2022), p. 810220/1-7

10.3389/fphy.2021.810220
Open Access Version

Abstract:
Using x-ray absorption spectroscopy with lateral resolution from the submillimeter to submicrometer range, we investigate the homogeneity, the chemical composition, and the nickel 3d- oxygen 2p charge transfer in topotactically reduced epitaxial PrNiO2+δ thin films. To this end, we use x-ray absorption spectroscopy in a standard experimental setup and in a soft x-ray microscope to probe the element and spatially resolved electronic structure modifications through changes of the nickel-2p and oxygen-1s absorption spectrum upon soft-chemistry reduction. We find that the reduction process is laterally homogeneous across a partially reduced PrNiO2+δ thin film sample for length scales down to 50 nm.