Magnetic measurements on single crystals of Ho(CF 3SO 3) 3.9H 2O and crystal field investigation

Abstract

Magnetic measurements on single crystals of holmium trifluoromethanesulfonate (HoTFMS) have been carried out from 300 to 12.5 K. The hexagonal crystal structure of HoTFMS is very similar to that of the hydrated rare earth ethylsulfates with the non-Kramers Ho 3+ ion occupying a site of C 3 h symmetry. A very good theoretical simulation of the principal magnetic susceptibilities, observed by us and the Friedberg group, over the wide range 300 to ∼1.0 K was obtained with the crystal field J-mixed eigenvectors taking into consideration intermediate coupling effects. No ordering effects were noticed by us down to ∼12.5 K indicating the interionic interaction to be of predominantly dipolar type consistent with the discovery of a ferromagnetic transition at T∼0.23 K by the Friedberg group. The g-values are found to be in reasonable agreement with those derived from other sources. The Schottky anomaly in the electronic heat capacity observed at ∼6 K by the Friedberg group is borne out excellently by our theoretical values computed from the crystalline Stark pattern. The thermal behavior of quadrupole splitting and hyperfine heat capacity is calculated and our computed values explain very well the principal anomaly in C N observed experimentally.