Localized 4f States and Dynamic Jahn-Teller Effect in PrO2

الأصل · EN

Neutron spectroscopic measurements of the magnetic excitations in PrO₂ reveal (1) sharp peaks characteristic of transitions between levels of the 4f¹ configuration of Pr⁴⁺ split by the cubic crystal field, and (2) broad bands of scattering centred near 30 meV and 160 meV. We present a simple model based on a vibronic Hamiltonian that accounts for the main features of the data. The analysis shows that 90±10% of the Pr ions have a localized 4f¹ configuration and provides strong evidence for a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in the Γ₈ electronic ground state.