Surface enhanced covalency and Madelung potentials in Nb doped SrTiO3 (100), (110) and (111) single crystals

The influence of surface enhanced covalency on the Madelung potential is experimentally investigated using angle-resolved photoemission for (100), (110) and (111) SrTiO₃ surfaces after annealing in UHV at 630 °C. Deconvolution of the core level spectra (O 1s, Sr 3d and Ti 2p) distinguishes bulk and surface components, which are interpreted in terms of surface enhanced covalency (SEC). By comparing the experimentally measured binding energies with theoretical calculations developed in the framework of the Localized-Hole Point-Ion Model, we quantitatively determine the effective electron occupancy at bulk and surface Sr and Ti sites. Our results confirm the essentially ionic character of Sr–O bond and the partially covalent character of Ti–O bond in bulk STO. The cation Ti and Sr electron occupation is greater for all the three surfaces than in the bulk. Surface covalency shifts the Madelung potential at the surface by ΔE_M. ΔE_M is a minimum for the (111) surface, and increases through (100), attaining a maximum for (110). The angle-resolved valence band spectra and the work function values also confirm this trend. The results are consistent with d–d charge fluctuations dominating at the surface, whereas metal-ligand charge transfers are more energetically favourable in the bulk.