Overlap population diagram for ELNES and XANES: peak assignment and interpretation.

This article reviews overlap population (OP) diagrams for electron energy loss near-edge structure (ELNES) and x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). By using the OP diagrams, peaks in ELNES and XANES of MgO, ZnO, AlN, GaN, InN, and YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-x) are interpreted in terms of cation-anion and cation-cation interactions. Common features are found in the OP diagrams for different edges. A reconstruction of the unoccupied electronic structure is demonstrated by aligning the different edges with the common features in the OP diagrams. The OP diagram is also applied to the Cu/Al(2)O(3) hetero-interface to find the relationships among ELNES, atomic and electronic structures, and properties.