Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Study Of The Electronic Properties Of Some Ytterbium Filled Skutterudites By Magnetic Susceptibility And X-Ray Absorption And Tin-119 Mössbauer Spectroscopy, Fernande Grandjean, Gary J. Long, Bernard M. Mahieu, Ji Hui Yang, Gregory P. Meisner, Donald T. Morelli

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Magnetic susceptibility, ytterbium L_III-edge x-ray absorption and tin-119 Mössbauer spectral measurements have been carried out to probe the electronic structure of ytterbium and tin in the filled or partially filled skutterudite compounds, Yb_yCo₄Sb_12-xSn_x, over a range of x and y values. The ytterbium valence obtained from the magnetic susceptibility and ytterbium L_III-edge x-ray absorption measurements is in excellent agreement and clearly reveals an evolution from intermediate valence ytterbium for x=0 to nearly divalent ytterbium for x=0.8. This evolution parallels an increase in the unit cell volume and hence …