Photoionization spectroscopy of yttrium clusters: Ionization potentials for Yn and YnO (n=2–31)

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Abstract
The photoionizationspectra of yttrium clusters Y n , and their monoxides Y n O have been recorded for n=2–31. As has been observed for other transition metal clusters, the vertical ionization potentials decrease rapidly yet nonmonotonically to ∼10 atoms, beyond which a more gradual decrease takes place. The ionization potentials of the cluster monoxides were found to be similar to those of the corresponding bare clusters except for n≤10 where differences of 0.1–0.3 eV were observed in some cases. The absence of magic numbers or odd–even alternations is taken as evidence that threshold photoionization occurs from a localized 4d orbital rather than a delocalized band derived from 5s valence electrons.