2P-3D RESONANT AUGER SCATTERING BY K+ IONS OF KMNF3 WITHOUT THE INFLUENCE OF THE CRYSTAL-FIELD SPLITTING

The 2p-3d resonant photoelectron and Auger spectra of K+ in KMnF3 have been measured. Contrary to the case of K+ in KCl studied by Elango et al. [Phys. Rev. B 47, 11 736 (1993)], the crystal field at K+ sites is very weak in KMnF3 and the 3d orbital of K+ is barely split into the t2g and eg components. It is shown that at the resonance a spectator structure which originates from the 3p-23d final configuration of K+ is strongly enhanced in the L2,3M2,3M2,3 Auger spectra. This structure shifts to higher kinetic energy linearly with increasing photon energy, indicating the Auger-resonant inelastic-scattering character of the excitation-deexcitation process. The effect does not depend on the crystal-field splitting of the 2p53d configuration, the intermediate configuration of this process. © 1995 The American Physical Society.