Photoelectron spectroscopy study of U-Te thin films: A unified perspective of hybridization effects across compositions

Uranium tellurides span magnetic and superconducting ground states, yet systematic electronic-structure information on the U–Te series remains scarce. In this study, we perform photoemission measurements on freshly prepared U x Te y thin films covering the range of bulk stoichiometries under ultra-high vacuum (10 Pa), enabling clean surfaces and targeting compositions of bulk phases, including the celebrated UTe 2 . X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS) reveal consistent evolution of the U 4 f and Te 3 d core levels and valence states throughout the series, in good agreement with the limited bulk data. Supported by uniform ab initio calculations for all U–Te compounds, we identify trends in U–Te hybridization and charge-transfer effects across the series. Together, these results provide a unified perspective on electronic structure evolution across the uranium–tellurium phase diagram and establish thin-film photoemission as a reliable route for mapping such trends in tellurides of heavy elements with diverse electronic ground states. • First unified electronic-structure framework covering the full U-Te compositional range. • In-situ XPS/UPS measurements providing clean-surface spectra consistently across the entire U-Te series. • DFT calculations performed on an identical methodological footing for all compositions. • Systematic trends in 5f-p hybridization and charge transfer revealed across the U-Te phase space. • UTe2 placed within a continuous electronic evolution rather than treated as an isolated case.