Resonant-photoemission identification of the valence states of NiPS3

We monitored the resonant behavior of the Ni d satellite peaks in the valence band photoemission spectra of NiPS₃ at photon energies immediately below and immediately above the Ni3p threshold. The observed resonance gives an unequivocal identification of the satellite peaks and of the corresponding main Ni d features. The study of the electronic structure of this material and of the related compounds FePS₃ and HgPS₃ was extended to unoccupied states by means of partial-yield synchrotron-radiation photoemission spectroscopy.