The Rh oxide ultrathin film on Rh(100): An x-ray photoelectron diffraction study

The surface and interface structure of the RhO2 ultrathin film grown on Rh(100) is investigated by means of x-ray photoelectron diffraction. Experimental and simulated one- and two-dimensional angular distribution intensities of the O1s and Rh3d5/2 chemically shifted core levels are quantitatively analyzed. The previously proposed O-Rh-O trilayer model is independently confirmed. A rippled buckling of the metal surface is observed at the oxide-metal interface, with a mean interfacial Rh-O distance which is 0.2 Å larger with respect to previous findings. The link between the local atomic rearrangement and the overall geometric and electronic properties of the oxide is discussed on the basis of a thorough comparison with the corresponding RhO2 rutile structure.