Crystal-field excitations and magnetic properties of Ho{sup 3+} in HoVO{sub 4}
- Intense Pulsed Neutron Source and Chemistry Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4814 (United States)
- Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6056 (United States)
The magnetic excitations in HoVO{sub 4} were studied by neutron scattering and susceptibility techniques. Well-defined transitions between the crystal-field-split states of the Ho{sup 3+} ions were observed at 15, 40, and 100 K. The magnetic spectra were analyzed using a single-ion crystal-field model which includes intermediate coupling of the LS states of Ho. A quantitative comparison of the observed energies and intensities with the model was made and used to refine the five crystal-field parameters needed to calculate the Ho ionic wave functions and other magnetic properties. The nonmagnetic {Gamma}{sub 1}-singlet ground state (containing about 90% pure {vert_bar}8,0{r_angle} component) of the Ho ions, in conjunction with the next higher doublet state situated at 2.5 meV, strongly influences the low-temperature magnetic behavior. The calculated magnetic susceptibility, which exhibits an easy plane coinciding with the crystallographic {ital a}-{ital b} plane at low temperatures, agrees very well with the experimental data obtained from single-crystal measurements. The magnetic properties of HoVO{sub 4} are contrasted with those of an isostructural compound HoPO{sub 4} which has a 98% pure {vert_bar}8,7{r_angle}-doublet ground state. The difference in the crystal-field-level structure between these two compounds is reflected in a sign change of the {ital B}{sub 0}{sup 2} crystal-field parameter. Despite the overall tetragonal crystal structure of HoVO{sub 4}, which predicts double degeneracy for each {Gamma}{sub 5} state, a small splitting in the first-excited doublet was clearly observed at low temperatures.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38; AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 46345
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 51, Issue 18; Other Information: PBD: 1 May 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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