  Transition metal oxides (TMOs) exhibit a broad spectrum of electronic,
magnetic, and optical properties, making them intriguing materials for various
technological applications. Soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is widely
used to study TMOs, shedding light on their chemical state, electronic
structure, orbital polarization, element-specific magnetism, and more.
Different XAS acquisition modes feature different information depth regimes in
the sample. Here, we employ two XAS acquisition modes, having surface-sensitive
versus bulk probing depths, on the prototypical TMO SrVO3. We illustrate and
elucidate a strong apparent discrepancy between the different modes,
emphasizing the impact of the near-surface region on the interpretation of XAS
data. These findings highlight the importance of the acquisition mode selection
in XAS analysis. Moreover, the results highlight the role of the near-surface
region not only in the characterization of TMOs, but also in the design of
future nanoscale oxide electronics.
