Deconvolution of lifetime broadening at rare-earthLIIIedges compared to resonant inelastic x-ray scattering measurements

The lifetime broadening of some rare-earth $L_{\mathrm{III}}$-edge x-ray absorption spectra (XAS) is partially removed by deconvolving high quality data. The ligand field splitting of dipolar resonances is clearly resolved. Exposed pre-edge structure is compared to atomic multiplet calculations of the $2p\to 4f$ quadrupolar excitations. Ratios are thereby determined for the quadrupolar/dipolar oscillator strengths. Deconvolved XAS data of Ho${\left(\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{O}}_3\right)}_3$ are compared to inelastic x-ray scattering measurements showing experimentally that the latter cannot reproduce a narrowed XAS.