High-resolution angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopic measurements were made of the Fermi edge of a single crystal of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 at 90 K along several directions in the Brillouin zone. The resultant Fermilevel crossings are consistent with local-density band calculations, including a point calculated to be of Bi-O character. Additional measurements were made where bands crossed the Fermi level between 100 and 250 K, along with measurements on an adjacent Pt foil. The Fermi edges of both materials agree to within the noise. Below the Fermi level the spectra show correlation effects in the form of an increased effective mass, but the essence of the single-particle band structure is retained. The shape of the spectra can be explained by a lifetime-broadened photohole and secondary electrons. The effective inverse photohole lifetime is linear in energy.

Detailed studies indicate a superconducting gap in the high-temperature superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8). Photoemission measurements with high energy and angle resolution isolate the behavior of a single band as it crosses the Fermi level in both the normal and superconducting states, giving support to the Fermi liquid picture. The magnitude of the gap is 24 millielectron volts.