Angle-resolved photoemission and its current applications in surface science

Abstract

Angle-resolved photoemission has proven to be a powerful tool, especially in combination with polarized, tunable light produced by synchrotron radiation, for the study of the electronic structure of a wide range of materials. Its intrinsic surface sensitivity makes it an ideal choice for addressing some issues of current interest in surface science, among which are the electronic structure of metal-oxide thin films and the effects of electron-phonon interaction in simple, two-dimensional metallic systems. After a brief introduction of the technique of angle-resolved photoemission and the properties of synchrotron radiation, examples are given to illustrate some current activities in these areas. In particular, the electronic structure of an iron-oxide thin film, namely, Fe_3O_4(111) epitaxially grown on Pt(111), and the effects of strong electron-phonon interaction on α-Ga(010) surface and its link with a phase transition on the surface will be described and discussed.