High energy crystal field excitations in Pr x Y1−x Ba2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract

We have measured the high energy crystalline electric field transitions in samples of Pr x Y1−x Ba2Cu3O7−δ withx ≈ 0·5 andx ≈ 1. The fully Pr-doped samples exhibits three strong transitions with excitation energies of about 65, 85 and 105 meV, plus three more weaker ones at 113, 123 and 132meV. Magnetic intensity is observed in the same energy range in thex=0.5 sample but is largely structureless in character, with only one clear peak at about 109meV. The large number of transitions would seem to indicate a Pr valence of 3+, rather than 4+, but the intrinsically broad character of the excitations is evidence for a dynamically mixed valence state.