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Crystalline electric field at the rare-earth site in Chevrel-phase RMo/sub 6/S/sub 8/ and RMo/sub 6/Se/sub 8/ from Moessbauer spectroscopy

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

The /sup 155/Gd Moessbauer-effect measurements in GdMo/sub 6/S/sub 8/ and GdMo/sub 6/Se/sub 8/ are reported. A quadrupole interaction of 545 +- 40 and 470 +- 60 MHz is measured at /sup 155/Gd in GdMo/sub 6/S/sub 8/ and GdMo/sub 6/Se/sub 8/, respectively. This indicates the presence of a large B/sub 2//sup 0/O /sub 2//sup 0/ term in the crystalline-electric-field (CEF) Hamiltonian in all rare-earth Chevrel-phase sulfides and selenides. The results imply that the previous analyses of CEF effects in these materials based on a cubic Hamiltonian are not valid. The importance of the CEF in understanding various measured magnetic and superconducting properties of the RMo/sub 6/S/sub 8/ compounds, where R denotes rare earth, is discussed.

Research Organization:
Materials Science and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
OSTI ID:
5701243
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 31:9; ISSN PRBMD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English