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Specific intermediate-valence state of insulating 4f compounds detected by L/sub 3/ x-ray absorption

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

The intermediate valence of formally tetravalent compounds has been detected by L/sub 3/ x-ray-absorption near-edge structure (XANES) in CeO/sub 2/ and in PrO/sub 2/ but not in UO/sub 2/, which have the same CaF/sub 2/ structure and large f and ligand mixing. The intermediate valence has been found both in CeO/sub 2/ and in Ce(SO/sub 4/)/sub 2/x4H/sub 2/O, which have similar local structure but different crystal structure. We show that L/sub 3/ XANES final states are a direct probe of configuration interaction between 4f/sup n/ and 4f/sup n//sup +1/L configurations in the ground state and that the weight of the 4f/sup n//sup +1/L in the ground state can be deduced. The many-body final states arise from the characteristic properties of these materials: (i) the presence of localized 4f level above the oxygen 2p band separated by a gap deltaepsilon-c with relevant correlation energy U/sub f//sub f/ (U/sub f//sub f/greater than or equal todeltaepsilon-c) and (ii) mixing of 4f localized states with ligand valence orbitals such that the hybridization energy V is of the same order of magnitude as the energy separation ..delta..E between the many-body configuration 4f/sup n/ and 4f/sup n//sup +1/L (Vgreater than or equal to..delta..E). These insulating materials, which cannot be classified as standard mixed-valence systems, are called here interatomic intermediate-valence systems.

Research Organization:
Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita-grave-accent degli Studi di Roma ''La Sapienza,'' I-00185 Roma, Italy
OSTI ID:
6883343
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 35:2; ISSN PRBMD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English