Multiple-scattering approach to the x-ray-absorption spectra of 3dtransition metals

Abstract

The x-ray-absorption near-edge structure (XANES) has been calculated for the 3d transition metals Cr, Fe, Ni, and Cu from a multiple-scattering approach within the muffin-tin-potential approximation, as a first step to studying the XANES for complicated materials. The muffin-tin potential is constructed via the Mattheiss prescription using the atomic data of Herman and Skillman. It is found that the XANES is sensitive to the potential used and that the calculated XANES spectra reproduce the number of peaks and their separations observed experimentally. The final spectra, including the lifetime-broadening effect, show the general features of each material. We emphasize that the multiple-scattering theory which can be applied to the disordered systems as well as the ordered ones may be promising as a tool to analyze the XANES of complicated materials.