Direct Measurement of Crystal-Field Splittings in PrN

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Abstract
Inelastic neutron scattering has been employed to measure the crystal‐field splittings of the 3H4 ground multiplet corresponding to the Pr3+ ion in PrN . An analysis of the resulting data places the Γ4 crystal‐field level at 27.0±1.0 meV , the Γ3 at 46.3±1.0 meV , and the Γ5 at 91.±2. meV , above the ground Γ1. These results can be quantitatively accounted for by a point‐charge model with a charge of −3, which sharply contrasts with previous work of others that established the crystal‐field levels in other PrX compounds ( X = P , As , Sb , Bi , S , Se , Te ) could be accounted for by point charges of −2. This difference between PrN and the other PrX compounds strongly implies some major difference in their electronic structures, which may indicate their being, respectively, semiconducting and metallic.

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