Investigation of valence states and electronic structure of ferromagnetic double-perovskite La₂MnNiO₆ by using synchrotron radiation

The electronic structure of ferromagnetic double-perovskite La2 MnNiO6 has been investigated by employing Mn and Ni 2p→3d resonant photoemission spectroscopy (RPES) and soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The Mn and Ni 2p XAS measurements show that Mn ions are formally tetravalent (3 d3) and that Ni ions are formally divalent (3 d8). Mn and Ni 2p→3d RPES shows that the occupied Mn 3 d3 (t 2g 3 ) states are sharp and located around 2 eV below EF, while the occupied Ni 3 d8 (t 2g 3 t 2g 3 eg2 ) states are broader than the Mn 3d states and they extend from EF to ∼5 eV below EF.