Soft x-ray emission studies of adsorbates

Abstract
Soft x-ray emission spectroscopy is for the first time applied to surfaces and adsorbates. Surface sensitivity is achieved by employing synchrotron radiation in grazing incidence for the excitation. We present O K emission from adsorbed atomic oxygen on Ni(100) and Cu(100) and molecular CO on Ni(100). The observed spectral features correspond to the occupied 2p partial density of states of the adsorbates.