Magnetic Measurements And Crystal Field Investigation Of Tm3+ In Tm(Cf3so3)(3)Center Dot 9h(2)O

Single crystals of thulium trifluoromethanesulfonate (TmTFMS) were grown and the principal magnetic susceptibility chi(perpendicular to) and magnetic anisotropy Delta chi(=chi(parallel to)-chi(perpendicular to)) were measured in the temperature range of 300-13.5 K and 300-80 K, respectively. Though the value of chi(perpendicular to) is found to rapidly increase with the decrease in temperature, the value of chi(parallel to) slowly increases with the lowering of temperature down to similar to 110 K, below which it slowly decreases. The hexagonal crystal structure of TmTFMS is similar to that of the isostructural series of hydrated rare earth ethylsulfates and the non-Kramers Tm3+ ion occupies a site of C-3h symmetry. Our observed magnetic data were analyzed using crystal field (CF) analyses where the Hamiltonian includes the atomic free ion and (CF) (one-electron) interaction terms. The computed and measured paramagnetic susceptibilities of TmTFMS agree well in the temperature range of our study. Smooth variation of chi(perpendicular to) down to 13.5 K does not indicate any structural phase transition or symmetry breaking, at least down to 13.5 K. The computed nuclear quadruple splitting and electronic heat capacities give some interesting results. In order to substantiate the theoretical calculation, the Raman spectra of the compound were recorded in the wavenumber range of 10-1800 cm(-1). It has been found that the theoretical values of the CF Stark energies in the ground multiplet are in good agreement with the Raman data. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.