Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Open Access

Probing La-based nickelates with Ni1s core-level photoelectron spectroscopy

Daisuke Takegami1,2,3,*, Naoki Ito4, Koto Fujinuma2, Masato Yoshimura5, Grace A. Pan6, Dan Ferenc Segedin6, Qi Song6, Hanjong Paik7,8,9, Charles M. Brooks6 et al.

Hanjie Guo3, Alexander C. Komarek3, Takanori Taniguchi10, Masaki Fujita10, Julia A. Mundy6,11, Takashi Mizokawa2, Liu Hao Tjeng3, Berit H. Goodge3, and Atsushi Hariki4

  • *Contact author: dtakegami@tmu.ac.jp

Phys. Rev. B 114, 185129 – Published 25 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/fkvs-lfjm

Abstract

We present a comparative Ni core level photoemission study of La3Ni2O7, Nd3Ni2O7, and LaNiO3 using both the Ni2p and the Ni1s. We address the challenges in analyzing the widely investigated Ni2p spectra arising from the substantial overlap in energy of the Ni2p with the La 3d. We show that, on the other hand, the deep Ni1s core level does provide a clean view on the intrinsic electronic excitations and we highlight its potential to resolve detailed differences in the electronic structure within the strongly correlated Ruddlesden-Popper series Lan+1NinO3n+1.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (64)

  1. S. Hüfner, Photoelectron Spectroscopy (Springer, Berlin, 2003).
  2. F. de Groot and A. Kotani, Core Level Spectroscopy of Solids (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2014).
  3. M. A. van Veenendaal and G. A. Sawatzky, Nonlocal screening effects in 2p x-ray photoemission spectroscopy core-level line shapes of transition metal compounds, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 2459 (1993).
  4. A. Hariki, T. Uozumi, and J. Kuneš, LDA+DMFT approach to core-level spectroscopy: Application to 3d transition metal compounds, Phys. Rev. B 96, 045111 (2017).
  5. J. Ghijsen, L. H. Tjeng, J. van Elp, H. Eskes, J. Westerink, G. A. Sawatzky, and M. T. Czyzyk, Electronic structure of Cu2O and CuO, Phys. Rev. B 38, 11322 (1988).
  6. K. Okada and A. Kotani, Multiplet structures of Cu 2p-XPS in La2CuO4, CuO and Cu halides, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 58, 2578 (1989).
  7. A. E. Bocquet, T. Mizokawa, T. Saitoh, H. Namatame, and A. Fujimori, Electronic structure of 3d-transition-metal compounds by analysis of the 2p core-level photoemission spectra, Phys. Rev. B 46, 3771 (1992).
  8. A. E. Bocquet, A. Fujimori, T. Mizokawa, T. Saitoh, H. Namatame, S. Suga, N. Kimizuka, Y. Takeda, and M. Takano, Electronic structure of SrFe4+O3 and related Fe perovskite oxides, Phys. Rev. B 45, 1561 (1992).
  9. T. Saitoh, A. E. Bocquet, T. Mizokawa, H. Namatame, A. Fujimori, M. Abbate, Y. Takeda, and M. Takano, Electronic structure of La1−xSrxMnO3 studied by photoemission and x-ray-absorption spectroscopy, Phys. Rev. B 51, 13942 (1995).
  10. K. Higashi, M. Winder, J. Kuneš, and A. Hariki, Core-level x-ray spectroscopy of infinite-layer nickelate: LDA+DMFT study, Phys. Rev. X 11, 041009 (2021).
  11. D. Takegami, C.-Y. Kuo, K. Kasebayashi, J.-G. Kim, C. F. Chang, C. E. Liu, C. N. Wu, D. Kasinathan, S. G. Altendorf, K. Hoefer, F. Meneghin, A. Marino, Y. F. Liao, K. D. Tsuei, C. T. Chen, K.-T. Ko, A. Günther, S. G. Ebbinghaus, J. W. Seo, D. H. Lee, et al., CaCu3Ru4O12: A high-kondo-temperature transition-metal oxide, Phys. Rev. X 12, 011017 (2022).
  12. D. Takegami, M. Nakamura, A. Melendez-Sans, K. Fujinuma, R. Nakamura, M. Yoshimura, K.-D. Tsuei, A. Tanaka, M. Gen, Y. Tokunaga, S. Ishiwata, and T. Mizokawa, Negative charge-transfer energy in SrFeO3 revisited with hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Phys. Rev. B 109, 235138 (2024).
  13. D. Takegami, T. Okauchi, E. A. Morales, K. Fujinuma, M. Furo, M. Yoshimura, K.-D. Tsuei, G. A. Pan, D. F. Segedin, Q. Song, H. Paik, C. M. Brooks, J. A. Mundy, T. Mizokawa, L. H. Tjeng, B. H. Goodge, and A. Hariki, Valence, charge transfer, and orbital-dependent correlation in bilayer nickelates Nd3Ni2O7, Phys. Rev. B 111, 165101 (2025).
  14. D. Takegami, A. Tanaka, S. Agrestini, Z. Hu, J. Weinen, M. Rotter, C. Schüßler-Langeheine, T. Willers, T. C. Koethe, T. Lorenz, Y. F. Liao, K. D. Tsuei, H.-J. Lin, C. T. Chen, and L. H. Tjeng, Paramagnetic LaCoO3: A highly inhomogeneous mixed spin-state system, Phys. Rev. X 13, 011037 (2023).
  15. D. Mondal, S. R. Mahapatra, A. M. Derrico, R. K. Rai, J. R. Paudel, C. Schlueter, A. Gloskovskii, R. Banerjee, A. Hariki, F. M. F. DeGroot, D. D. Sarma, A. Narayan, P. Nukala, A. X. Gray, and N. P. B. Aetukuri, Modulation-doping a correlated electron insulator, Nature Commun. 14, 6210 (2023).
  16. S. Suga, A. Sekiyama, S. Imada, T. Miyamachi, H. Fujiwara, A. Yamasaki, K. Yoshimura, K. Okada, M. Yabashi, K. Tamasaku, A. Higashiya, and T. Ishikawa, ∼8 keV photoemission of the metal–insulator transition system VO2, New J. Phys. 11, 103015 (2009).
  17. R. Eguchi, M. Taguchi, M. Matsunami, K. Horiba, K. Yamamoto, Y. Ishida, A. Chainani, Y. Takata, M. Yabashi, D. Miwa, Y. Nishino, K. Tamasaku, T. Ishikawa, Y. Senba, H. Ohashi, Y. Muraoka, Z. Hiroi, and S. Shin, Photoemission evidence for a Mott-Hubbard metal-insulator transition in VO2, Phys. Rev. B 78, 075115 (2008).
  18. K. Horiba, M. Taguchi, A. Chainani, Y. Takata, E. Ikenaga, D. Miwa, Y. Nishino, K. Tamasaku, M. Awaji, A. Takeuchi, M. Yabashi, H. Namatame, M. Taniguchi, H. Kumigashira, M. Oshima, M. Lippmaa, M. Kawasaki, H. Koinuma, K. Kobayashi, T. Ishikawa, et al., Nature of the Well Screened State in Hard X-Ray Mn 2p Core-Level Photoemission Measurements of La1−xSrxMnO3 films, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 236401 (2004).
  19. M. Taguchi, A. Chainani, N. Kamakura, K. Horiba, Y. Takata, M. Yabashi, K. Tamasaku, Y. Nishino, D. Miwa, T. Ishikawa, S. Shin, E. Ikenaga, T. Yokoya, K. Kobayashi, T. Mochiku, K. Hirata, and K. Motoya, Bulk screening in core-level photoemission from Mott-Hubbard and charge-transfer systems, Phys. Rev. B 71, 155102 (2005).
  20. A. Hariki, Y. Ichinozuka, and T. Uozumi, Dynamical mean-field approach to Ni 2p x-ray photoemission spectra of NiO: A role of antiferromagnetic ordering, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 82, 043710 (2013).
  21. B. Y. Wang, K. Lee, and B. H. Goodge, Experimental progress in superconducting nickelates, Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 15, 305 (2024).
  22. P. Puphal, T. Schäfer, B. Keimer, and M. Hepting, Superconductivity in infinite-layer and Ruddlesden–Popper nickelates, Nature Rev. Phys. 8, 70 (2026).
  23. B. H. Goodge and M. R. Norman, Nickelates provide answers about high-temperature superconductivity—and raise new questions, Phys. Today 78, 28 (2025).
  24. H. Sun, M. Huo, X. Hu, J. Li, Z. Liu, Y. Han, L. Tang, Z. Mao, P. Yang, B. Wang, J. Cheng, D.-X. Yao, G.-M. Zhang, and M. Wang, Signatures of superconductivity near 80 K in a nickelate under high pressure, Nature (London) 621, 493 (2023).
  25. Y. Zhu, D. Peng, E. Zhang, B. Pan, X. Chen, L. Chen, H. Ren, F. Liu, Y. Hao, N. Li, et al., Superconductivity in pressurized trilayer La4Ni3O10−δ single crystals, Nature (London) 631, 531 (2024).
  26. E. K. Ko, Y. Yu, Y. Liu, L. Bhatt, J. Li, V. Thampy, C.-T. Kuo, B. Y. Wang, Y. Lee, K. Lee, J.-S. Lee, B. H. Goodge, D. A. Muller, and H. Y. Hwang, Signatures of ambient pressure superconductivity in thin film La3Ni2O7, Nature (London) 638, 935 (2025).
  27. G. Zhou, W. Lv, H. Wang, Z. Nie, Y. Chen, Y. Li, H. Huang, W.-Q. Chen, Y.-J. Sun, Q.-K. Xue, and Z. Chen, Ambient-pressure superconductivity onset above 40 K in (La,Pr)3Ni2O7 films, Nature (London) 640, 641 (2025).
  28. F. Li, Z. Xing, D. Peng, J. Dou, N. Guo, L. Ma, Y. Zhang, L. Wang, J. Luo, J. Yang, et al., Bulk superconductivity up to 96 K in pressurized nickelate single crystals, Nature (London) 649, 871 (2026).
  29. Z. Luo, X. Hu, M. Wang, W. Wú, and D.-X. Yao, Bilayer two-orbital model of La3Ni2O7 under pressure, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 126001 (2023).
  30. Y. Zhang, L.-F. Lin, A. Moreo, and E. Dagotto, Electronic structure, dimer physics, orbital-selective behavior, and magnetic tendencies in the bilayer nickelate superconductor La3Ni2O7 under pressure, Phys. Rev. B 108, L180510 (2023).
  31. H. Sakakibara, N. Kitamine, M. Ochi, and K. Kuroki, Possible high Tc superconductivity in La3Ni2O7 under high pressure through manifestation of a nearly half-filled bilayer Hubbard model, Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 106002 (2024).
  32. C. Lu, Z. Pan, F. Yang, and C. Wu, Interlayer-coupling-driven high-temperature superconductivity in La3Ni2O7 under pressure, Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 146002 (2024).
  33. C. Xia, H. Liu, S. Zhou, and H. Chen, Sensitive dependence of pairing symmetry on Ni-eg crystal field splitting in the nickelate superconductor La3Ni2O7, Nature Commun. 16, 1054 (2025).
  34. L. C. Rhodes and P. Wahl, Structural routes to stabilize superconducting La3Ni2O7 at ambient pressure, Phys. Rev. Mater. 8, 044801 (2024).
  35. Y.-F. Zhao and A. S. Botana, Electronic structure of ruddlesden-popper nickelates: Strain to mimic the effects of pressure, Phys. Rev. B 111, 115154 (2025).
  36. S. Mickevičius, S. Grebinskij, V. Bondarenka, B. Vengalis, K. Šliužienė, B. A. Orlowski, V. Osinniy, and W. Drube, Investigation of epitaxial LaNiO3−x thin films by high-energy XPS, J. Alloys Compd. 423, 107 (2006).
  37. K. Yamagami, K. Ikeda, A. Hariki, Y. Zhang, A. Yasui, Y. Takagi, Y. Hotta, T. Katase, T. Kamiya, and H. Wadati, Hard x-ray photoemission study on strain effect in LaNiO3 thin films, Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 161601 (2021).
  38. D. Takegami, K. Fujinuma, R. Nakamura, M. Yoshimura, K.-D. Tsuei, G. Wang, N. N. Wang, J.-G. Cheng, Y. Uwatoko, and T. Mizokawa, Absence of Ni2+/Ni3+ charge disproportionation and possible roles of O 2p holes in La3Ni2O7−δ revealed by hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Phys. Rev. B 109, 125119 (2024).
  39. Z. Liu, H. Sun, M. Huo, X. Ma, Y. Ji, E. Yi, L. Li, H. Liu, J. Yu, Z. Zhang, Z. Chen, F. Liang, H. Dong, H. Guo, D. Zhong, B. Shen, S. Li, and M. Wang, Evidence for charge and spin density waves in single crystals of La3Ni2O7 and La3Ni2O6, Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 66, 217411 (2023).
  40. T. Yamaguchi, K. Higashi, A. Regoutz, Y. Takahashi, M. Lazemi, Q. Che, F. M. F. de Groot, and A. Hariki, Atomic multiplet and charge transfer screening effects in 1s and 2p core-level x-ray photoelectron spectra of early 3d transition-metal oxides, Phys. Rev. B 109, 205143 (2024).
  41. J. C. Woicik, C. Weiland, C. Jaye, E. L. Shirley, I. Jarrige, J. Pelliciari, V. Bisogni, A. K. Rumaiz, J. M. Ablett, L. Qian, G. Xiao, G. Ohad, A. V. Cohen, and L. Kronik, Satellites, core hole excitations, and spin-resolved electronic structure in the spectroscopy of half-metallic CrO2, Phys. Rev. B 112, 035156 (2025).
  42. J. C. Woicik, C. Weiland, and A. K. Rumaiz, Loss for photoemission versus gain for auger: Direct experimental evidence of crystal-field splitting and charge transfer in photoelectron spectroscopy, Phys. Rev. B 91, 201412(R) (2015).
  43. J. C. Woicik, C. Weiland, C. Jaye, D. A. Fischer, A. K. Rumaiz, E. L. Shirley, J. J. Kas, and J. J. Rehr, Charge-transfer satellites and chemical bonding in photoemission and x-ray absorption of SrTiO3 and rutile TiO2: Experiment and first-principles theory with general application to spectroscopic analysis, Phys. Rev. B 101, 245119 (2020).
  44. A. Hariki, K. Higashi, T. Yamaguchi, J. Li, C. Kalha, M. Mascheck, S. K. Eriksson, T. Wiell, F. M. F. de Groot, and A. Regoutz, Satellites in the Ti 1s core level spectra of SrTiO3 and TiO2, Phys. Rev. B 106, 205138 (2022).
  45. P. S. Miedema, F. Borgatti, F. Offi, G. Panaccione, and F. M. F. de Groot, Iron 1s x-ray photoemission of Fe2O3, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 203, 8 (2015).
  46. A. Regoutz, M. Mascheck, T. Wiell, S. K. Eriksson, C. Liljenberg, K. Tetzner, B. A. D. Williamson, D. O. Scanlon, and P. Palmgren, A novel laboratory-based hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy system, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 073105 (2018).
  47. J. C. Woicik, J. M. Ablett, N. F. Quackenbush, A. K. Rumaiz, C. Weiland, T. C. Droubay, and S. A. Chambers, Experimental assignment of many-electron excitations in the photoionization of NiO, Phys. Rev. B 97, 245142 (2018).
  48. M. Ghiasi, A. Hariki, M. Winder, J. Kuneš, A. Regoutz, T.-L. Lee, Y. Hu, J.-P. Rueff, and F. M. F. de Groot, Charge-transfer effect in hard x-ray 1s and 2p photoemission spectra: LDA+DMFT and cluster-model analysis, Phys. Rev. B 100, 075146 (2019).
  49. J. C. Woicik, ed., Hard x-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) (Springer, Berlin, 2016).
  50. C. Kalha, N. K. Fernando, P. Bhatt, F. O. L. Johansson, A. Lindblad, H. Rensmo, L. Z. Medina, R. Lindblad, S. Siol, L. P. H. Jeurgens, C. Cancellieri, K. Rossnagel, K. Medjanik, G. Schönhense, M. Simon, A. X. Gray, S. Nemšák, P. Lömker, C. Schlueter, and A. Regoutz, Hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: A snapshot of the state-of-the-art in 2020, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 33, 233001 (2021).
  51. G. A. Pan, Q. Song, D. Ferenc Segedin, M.-C. Jung, H. El-Sherif, E. E. Fleck, B. H. Goodge, S. Doyle, D. Córdova Carrizales, A. T. N'Diaye, et al., Synthesis and electronic properties of Ndn+1NinO3n+1 Ruddlesden-Popper nickelate thin films, Phys. Rev. Mater. 6, 055003 (2022).
  52. D. Ferenc Segedin, B. H. Goodge, G. A. Pan, Q. Song, H. LaBollita, M.-C. Jung, H. El-Sherif, S. Doyle, A. Turkiewicz, N. K. Taylor, J. A. Mason, A. T. N'Diaye, H. Paik, I. El Baggari, A. S. Botana, L. F. Kourkoutis, C. M. Brooks, and J. A. Mundy, Limits to the strain engineering of layered square-planar nickelate thin films, Nature Commun. 14, 1468 (2023).
  53. J. H. Lee, G. Luo, I. C. Tung, S. H. Chang, Z. Luo, M. Malshe, M. Gadre, A. Bhattacharya, S. M. Nakhmanson, J. A. Eastman, H. Hong, J. Jellinek, D. Morgan, D. D. Fong, and J. W. Freeland, Dynamic layer rearrangement during growth of layered oxide films by molecular beam epitaxy, Nature Mater. 13, 879 (2014).
  54. H. Guo, Z. W. Li, L. Zhao, Z. Hu, C. F. Chang, C.-Y. Kuo, W. Schmidt, A. Piovano, T. W. Pi, O. Sobolev, D. I. Khomskii, L. H. Tjeng, and A. C. Komarek, Antiferromagnetic correlations in the metallic strongly correlated transition metal oxide LaNiO3, Nature Commun. 9, 43 (2018).
  55. D. Takegami, L. Nicolaï, T. C. Koethe, D. Kasinathan, C. Y. Kuo, Y. F. Liao, K. D. Tsuei, G. Panaccione, F. Offi, G. Monaco, N. B. Brookes, J. Minár, and L. H. Tjeng, Valence band hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on 3d transition-metal oxides containing rare-earth elements, Phys. Rev. B 99, 165101 (2019).
  56. D. J. Lam, B. W. Veal, and D. E. Ellis, Electronic structure of lanthanum perovskites with 3d transition elements, Phys. Rev. B 22, 5730 (1980).
  57. A. Kotani and H. Ogasawara, Theory of core-level spectroscopy of rare-earth oxides, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 60, 257 (1992).
  58. K.-H. Park and S.-J. Oh, Electron-spectroscopy study of rare-earth trihalides, Phys. Rev. B 48, 14833 (1993).
  59. J. Weinen, T. C. Koethe, C. F. Chang, S. Agrestini, D. Kasinathan, Y. F. Liao, H. Fujiwara, C. Schüßler-Langeheine, F. Strigari, T. Haupricht, G. Panaccione, F. Offi, G. Monaco, S. Huotari, K.-D. Tsuei, and L. H. Tjeng, Polarization dependent hard x-ray photoemission experiments for solids: Efficiency and limits for unraveling the orbital character of the valence band, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 198, 6 (2015).
  60. S. G. Altendorf, D. Takegami, A. Meléndez-Sans, C. F. Chang, M. Yoshimura, K. D. Tsuei, A. Tanaka, M. Schmidt, and L. H. Tjeng, Electronic structure of the Fe2+ compound FeWO4: A combined experimental and theoretical x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study, Phys. Rev. B 108, 085119 (2023).
  61. D. S. Christovam, M. Sundermann, A. Marino, D. Takegami, J. Falke, P. Dolmantas, M. Harder, H. Gretarsson, B. Keimer, A. Gloskovskii, M. W. Haverkort, I. Elfimov, G. Zwicknagl, A. V. Andreev, L. Havela, M. M. Bordelon, E. D. Bauer, P. F. S. Rosa, A. Severing, and L. H. Tjeng, Stabilization of U 5f2 configuration in UTe2 through u 6d dimers in the presence of Te2 chains, Phys. Rev. Res. 6, 033299 (2024).
  62. M. B. Trzhaskovskaya and V. G. Yarzhemsky, Dirac–Fock photoionization parameters for HAXPES applications, At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 119, 99 (2018).
  63. T. Yamaguchi, M. Furo, Y. Sakai, T. Nishikubo, H. Hojo, M. Azuma, K. Oka, D. Mori, Y. Inaguma, M. Mizumaki, K. Yamamoto, J. Kuneš, T. Mizokawa, and A. Hariki, Mechanism of intermetallic charge transfer and bond disproportionation in BiNiO3 and PbNiO3 revealed by hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Phys. Rev. B 109, 205131 (2024).
  64. L. Bhatt, E. Abarca Morales, A. Y. Jiang, E. K. Ko, Y.-F. Zhao, N. Schnitzer, G. A. Pan, D. Ferenc Segedin, Y. Liu, Y. Yu, et al., Structural modifications in strain-engineered bilayer nickelate thin films, Nature (London) 653, 76 (2026).

Outline

Information

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation