Valence state of Mn-doped BiFeO3-BaTiO3 ceramics probed by soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The valence state of Mn-doped BiFeO3-BaTiO3 ceramics has been probed by soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Mn-doped BiFeO3-BaTiO3 has valence states of Fe3+ and Ti4+, although BiFeO3 and Mn-doped BiFeO3 have mixed valence states of Fe2+ and Fe3+. The Mn 2p-XAS peak of Mn-doped BiFeO3-BaTiO3 locates at a lower energy side than that of Mn-doped BiFeO3 that corresponds to the Mn3+ valence state. These findings may indicate that the Fe3+ valence state of Mn-doped BiFeO3-BaTiO3 is stabilized by charge transfer from the Mn 3d state to the Fe 3d state through the Ti 3d state in BaTiO3. (c) 2008 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.