Unraveling 5f-6d hybridization in uranium compounds via spin-resolved L-edge spectroscopy

The multifaceted character of 5 f electrons in actinide materials, from localized to itinerant and in between, together with their complex interactions with 6 d and other conduction electron states, has thwarted efforts for fully understanding this class of compounds. While theoretical efforts aboun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2017-10, Vol.8 (1), p.1203-6, Article 1203
Main Authors: dos Reis, R. D., Veiga, L. S. I., Escanhoela Jr, C. A., Lang, J. C., Joly, Y., Gandra, F. G., Haskel, D., Souza-Neto, N. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/301/930
639/766/119/997
639/766/36/1122
Absorption cross sections
Actinide compounds
ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
Circular dichroism
Condensed Matter
Conduction
Dichroism
Electron states
Electronic structure
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hybridization
Magnetism
Materials Science
multidisciplinary
Physics
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Spectroscopy
Uranium compounds
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Summary:The multifaceted character of 5 f electrons in actinide materials, from localized to itinerant and in between, together with their complex interactions with 6 d and other conduction electron states, has thwarted efforts for fully understanding this class of compounds. While theoretical efforts abound, direct experimental probes of relevant electronic states and their hybridization are limited. Here we exploit the presence of sizable quadrupolar and dipolar contributions in the uranium L 3 -edge X-ray absorption cross section to provide unique information on the extent of spin-polarized hybridization between 5 f and 6 d electronic states by means of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. As a result, we show how this 5 f -6 d hybridization regulates the magnetism of each sublattice in UCu 2 Si 2 and UMn 2 Si 2 compounds, demonstrating the potentiality of this methodology to investigate a plethora of magnetic actinide compounds. Study and identification of the actinide electronic structure is complicated and crucial. Here the authors probe the hybridization between 5 f to 6 d orbitals in uranium compounds using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism near U-L3 edge through the dipolar and quadrupolar spectral contributions.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-017-01524-1