Electronic structure of oxygen-containing bismuth compounds

Systematic X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPES) measurements were performed for bismuth compounds: α-Bi2O3, BaBiO3, and NaBiO3. Data on the valence band structure and positions of core electron levels in atoms were gained. Electronic band structure calculations were performed by the fullpotential linear-muffin-tin-orbital (FP-LMTO) method. A comprehensive analysis of the electronic structures was carried out on the basis of comparison of experimental and theoretical data. Our results imply the occurrence of noticeable electronic correlations in the compounds under study, which should be taken into account in interpreting the unusual properties discovered earlier in α-Bi2O3 and in some other oxygen-containing bismuth compounds.