Quadrupolar excitation channels at the L3 edge of rare-earth ions probed by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

A systematic resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study at the L-3 absorption edge of rare-earth ions in the R2Fe14B intermetallics is presented. The energy position and the relative strength of quadrupolar (E2) and dipolar (E1) intermediate-state excitation channels are extracted by decomposing the inelastic scattering spectra into their main contributions. For the cases in which theoretical calculations of the quadrupolar part are available, a good agreement for the spectral shape is found. With increasing atomic number, a monotonic increase of the energy difference and a decrease of the relative strength between Fl and E2 excitation channels is observed. This work provides important experimental data for the application of magneto-optical sum rules to the 5d band of rare-earth systems, as well as for the validation of theoretical models aimed at a correct description of x-ray magnetic spectroscopies at the L edges of rare earths in metallic systems. [S0163-1829(99)00440-3].