Measurements of 3<i>d</i> state occupancy in transition metals using electron energy loss spectrometry

Abstract

We report a linear correlation between the total intensities of the L2,3 white lines in electron energy loss spectra and the number of unoccupied 3d states in 3d transition metals. We show that this correlation can be used to obtain quantitative information about electronic changes during alloying and during solid-state phase transformations.