The bremsstrahlung isochromat spectra of d0 transition-metal oxides

Abstract We present and discuss the bremsstrahlung isochromat spectra (BIS) of four d 0 transition-metal oxides; namely ZrO 2 , HfO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , and Ta 2 O 5 . The spectra are related to the density of unoccupied states in the conduction band. They give directly the magnitude of the crystal-field splitting and the dispersion of the metal- d bands. The trends observed in the spectra are discussed and compared to those found in the O 1 s x-ray absorption spectra (XAS) of the same materials.