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Crystal field and magnetic properties of ErH/sub 2/

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev., B; (United States)
The Mossbauser effect of the 80.6-keV resonance in /sup 166/Er has been used to study the magnetic and electronic properties of ErH/sub 2/. The onset of magnetic hyperfine splitting shows a magnetic transition occurring at 2.4 +- 0.1 K. The extrapolated saturation hyperfine field is 2480 +- 20 kOe, corresponding to a magnetic moment of (2.75 +- 0.08) ..mu../subB/ on the Er ion in the ordered state. Measurements of the hyperfine splitting in an external magnetic field show that the crystal-field ground state is a GAMMA/sub 6/ Kramers doublet. These data, as well as an analysis of previously published magnetic-susceptibility data, indicate that the first excited crystal-field level is approximately-greater-than 150 K above the ground state. Measurements of the hyperfine spectra of Er as a solute in %YH/sub 2/ give a GAMMA/sub 7/ ground state, which can arise from a small change in the ratio of fourth-order to sixth-order crystal-field parameters on going from this case to that of ErH/sub 2/. All of the above results can be understood on the basis of a ''hydridic'' (i.e., negatively charged) model for hydrogen in this compound. (AIP)
Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
OSTI ID:
7353199
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev., B; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., B; (United States) Vol. 14:1; ISSN PLRBA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English