Momentum-resolved energy loss near edge structure in SrCu2(BO3)2.

In this paper, we present a detailed study of the electronic structure of the strontium copper borate SrCu(2)(BO(3))(2) using momentum-resolved energy loss near edge structure (ELNES) and ab initio band structure calculations. Information on the energy position, the character and the spatial orientation of the unoccupied states of this compound can be efficiently retrieved taking advantage of the nearly parallel illumination available in a conventional transmission electron microscope (CTEM). These results shed light on the bonding mechanisms taking place in complex oxides such as SrCu(2)(BO(3))(2).