Photoemission and Optical Spectroscopy of i-ZnMgEr Quasicrystal

The results of photoemission and optical studies of icosahedral single-grain ZnMgEr quasicrystals are presented. Synchrotron radiation photoemission measurements were performed on in situ cleaved samples at 10$\text{}^{-10}$ mbar pressure and low, 140-150 K temperature. The valence band photoemission spectra measured reveal a simple metal-type valence band of icosahedral ZnMgEr with a distinct Fermi edge cut-off and with a sharp pseudogap feature. The photoemission spectra of shallow Mg 2p and Zn 3d core levels indicate a coordination shift of Mg 2p spin-orbit doublet and an oscillating dependence of Zn 3d photoemission line components on the photon energy within the hν=20-160 eV range investigated. The optical response of icosahedral ZnMgEr, a dispersion of the dielectric function, was measured by the spectroscopic ellipsometry technique in the 0.5-5.0 eV spectral range. The optical spectra of the quasicrystal indicate the Drude-type optical response superimposed with a peak of interband optical transitions. The interband optical transitions can be modelled with the pseudogap parameters which agree with those deduced in an analysis of the photoemission valence band spectra.