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arXiv · 2601.13091

Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of U-Te Thin Films: A Unified Perspective of Hybridization Effects across Compositions

E. A. Tereshina-Chitrova·S. G. Alex·O. Koloskova·L. Havela·L. Horak·O. Romanyuk·F. Huber·T. Gouder·M. Divis
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Abstract

Uranium tellurides span magnetic and superconducting ground states, yet systematic electronic-structure information across the U-Te series remains scarce. In this study, we perform photoemission measurements on freshly prepared UxTey thin films covering the range of bulk stoichiometries under ultra-high vacuum (10^-9 Pa), enabling clean surfaces and compositions matching bulk phases, including the celebrated UTe2. X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS) reveal consistent evolution of the U 4f and Te 3d core levels and valence states across the series, in good agreement with the limited bulk data. Supported by uniform ab initio calculations for all U-Te compounds, we identify systematic trends in U-Te hybridization and charge-transfer effects across the series. These results establish thin-film photoemission as a reliable route for mapping electronic-structure trends in tellurides of heavy elements with diverse electronic ground states.

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E. A. Tereshina-Chitrova, S. G. Alex, O. Koloskova, L. Havela, L. Horak, O. Romanyuk, F. Huber, T. Gouder, M. Divis. 2026-01-19. Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of U-Te Thin Films: A Unified Perspective of Hybridization Effects across Compositions. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13091

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