X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy: A Complementary Tool for Structural and Electronic Characterization of Solids

The purpose of this paper is to show that X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS) is a powerful technique for characterizing both crystalline and amorphous solids from structural (local order) and electronic point of view. The principle of this technique is briefly described by showing the main factors which must be considered for recording and fitting the experimental results. Some non-trivial examples have been selected for demonstrating that XAS spectroscopy is the only technique for bringing a definitive answer as for example: the determination of the local distortion of the $NiO_6$ octahedra in the $Li_{1-z}Ni_{1+z}O_2$ layered oxides and the evidence of the presence of copper pairs in the NASICON-type phosphate $CuZr_2 (PO_4)_3$. Are also reported some significant examples for which XAS spectroscopy is decisive with other characterization methods as (i) Raman spectroscopy for glasses (ii) Mossbauer spectroscopy for $LiNi_{1+z-t}Fe_To_2$ oxides (iii) magnetic measurements for Ce-based intermetallic compounds.