Quantitative analysis of x-ray photoemission spectra applied to Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 high-temperature superconductors

A model for quantitative analysis of core-level x-ray photoemission spectra based on relative core-level intensities for different elements is proposed. The model, which is generally applicable to single crystalline materials, allows an indirect comparison between electronic and structural properties of a solid material. In particular, for the highly anisotropic high-temperature superconductors, much information can be extracted using the proposed scheme. The model is exemplified for the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 system, the experimental data from which show an excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions, thus validating the outlined approach. The results confirm that cleaved crystals of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 are terminated by the Bi-O layer