Tetrahedral versus octahedral Mn site coordination in wurtzite and rocksalt Zn1−xMnxO investigated by means of XAS experiments under high pressure

We present the results of x-ray absorption measurements carried out in Zn1−xMnxO thin films under high pressure. The Mn environment remains essentially the same for nominal Mn concentrations given by x=0.05x=0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.25. Both the XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure) and EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) indicate that Mn occupies the Zn site, being surrounded by four oxygen atoms at 2.02±0.01 Å. The substitutional hypothesis is reinforced by comparing the differences between the ambient (wurtzite) and high pressure (rocksalt) spectra, which correspond to tetrahedral and octahedral Mn environments.