Insights into the electronic structure of ceramics through quantitative analysis of valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy

Valence electron energy-loss (VEEL) spectroscopy was performed on six ceramic materials in a dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). Quantitative analysis of these data is described yielding access to the complex optical properties and the electronic structure of the materials. Comparisons are made on the basis of the interband transition strength describing transitions between occupied states in the valence band and empty states in the conduction band. This proves that the quantitative analysis of VEEL data is a competitive and complementary method to be considered when investigating the electronic structure of materials. Possibilities for improvement and extension of the analysis are discussed extensively.