Polarized EXAFS of uranium L1 and L3 edges - A comparison

Uranium(VI) consists predominantly of two double bonded oxygen atoms in axial direction (Oax) and 4, 5 or 6 oxygen atoms in the equatorial plane (Oeq). This anisotropic coordination leads to a strong polarization dependence of XAFS. Responsible for the polarization dependence are the electron waves with different impulse-momentum at the L1 and L3 edges. We investigated this effect by comparing experimental data with the theory. The Theory and experiment are in good agreement. The polarization dependence of L1 edge is significantly stronger that of L3 edge.