Electronic Structure of δ-Pu and PuCoGas from Photoemission and the Mixed Level Model

摘要

The electronic structure of δ-phase Pu metal and the Pu-based superconductor PuCoGa_5 is explored using photoelectron spectroscopy and a novel theoretical scheme. Excellent agreement between calculation and experiment defines a path forward for understanding electronic structure aspects of Pu-based materials. The photoemission results show two separate regions of 5f electron spectral intensity, one at the Fermi energy and another centered 1.2 eV below the Fermi level. A comparison is made between the photoemission data and five computational schemes for δ-Pu. The results for δ-Pu and PuCoGa_5 indicate 5f electron behavior on the threshold between localized and itinerant and a broader framework for understanding the fundamental electronic properties of the Pu 5f levels in general within two configurations, one localized and one itinerant.