Why d - orbital has a doublet in XPS Spectra - X-rays Photoelectrons Spectroscopy
XPS Analysis of Orbital Peaks
Understanding XPS Peaks for Orbitals
- In X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, there is a distinction between peaks for different orbitals. A single peak represents 's' orbitals, while two peaks correspond to 'd' orbitals, specifically labeled as 3/2 and 5/2.
- The nomenclature used in XPS refers to the principal quantum number; here it is three. This indicates the energy level of the electrons being analyzed.
- The term "angular momentum" relates to the orbital angular momentum associated with these electrons. For 'd' orbitals, this value is set at two.
Spin Angular Momentum Contribution
- The discussion includes spin angular momentum, which can take values of +1/2 or -1/2. This aspect is crucial in determining the total angular momentum observed in the peaks.
- When combining orbital angular momentum with spin, if both are aligned (spin up), it results in a total angular momentum of 5/2, leading to one peak. Conversely, when spin is down (subtracting from orbital), it results in a total of 3/2 for another peak.