ESR determination of the crystal field parameters of Nd, Dy, Er, and Yb doped skutterudite CeFe4P12

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Despite extensive research on the skutterudites for the last decade, their electric crystalline field ground state is still a matter of controversy. By using electron spin resonance measurements we show that an appropriate description of the ground state can be given for the T-h cubic symmetry of the Ce1-xRxFe4P12 (R = Dy, Er, Yb, x less than or similar to 0.003) skutterudite compounds. From the analysis of the ESR data the three crystal field parameters, B-4(c), B-6(c) and B-6(t) were determined for each of these rare-earths at the Ce3+ site. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.4041932813284Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)US Department of Energy [DE-FG02-98ER45707]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)US Department of Energy [DE-FG02-98ER45707