Cationic vacancies and anomalous spectral-weight transfer in Ti1−xTaxO2thin films studied via polarization-dependent near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

We report the electronic structures of Ta-doped anatase TiO 2 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with varying magnetization using a combination of first-principles calculations and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The roles of Ta doping and Ti vacancies are clarified, and the observed room-temperature ferromagnetism is attributed to the localized magnetic moments at Ti vacancy sites ferromagnetically ordered by electron charge carriers. O K -edge spectra exhibit significant polarization dependence which is discussed and supported by first-principles calculations in relation to both the crystal symmetry and the formation of defects. In particula…