Strong polarization dependence and selenium lone-pairs in the photoemission spectra of Sb2Se3

The photoemission energy distribution curves (EDC's) of crystalline and amorphous Sb₂Se₃ were measured in the photon energy range hv=7 to 20 eV using polarized radiation from a synchroton storage ring. The EDC's show that the six electrons per Sb₂Se₃ molecule, attributed primarily to the selenium p-pairs, are clearly separated from the remaining part of the valence band of crystalline Sb₂Se₃. The optical transitions from these states occur with matrix elements strongly dependent on the orientation of the electrical vector of the polarized radiation as a result of crystal field effects. Model densities of states are constructed for both crystalline and amorphous Sb₂Se₃.