Dispersion of 5<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>f</mml:mi></mml:math>electron states: Angle-resolved photoemission on ordered films of U metal

Abstract

Ordered overlayers of U metal characterized by a hexagonal low-energy electron diffraction pattern were grown in situ by deposition of U metal onto a W(110) substrate and subsequent annealing. Angle-resolved photoemission reveals clearly dispersion of U $5f$-derived states. The experimental data are in excellent agreement with results of relativistic local density approximation band-structure calculations. The bandlike properties of the U $5f$ states stem from direct $f\ensuremath{-}f$ interaction rather than from $f\ensuremath{-}d$ hybridization as might be expected for $4f$-derived bands in Ce systems.