Resonant inelastic x-ray spectroscopy (RIXS) on UO<sub>2</sub> - a test case for actinide materials

ORAL

Abstract

A successful soft x-ray resonant inelastic x-ray spectroscopy (RIXS) experiment of UO2 at the U N4 absorption edge (778 eV) will be presented [1]. The RIXS spectra exhibit well resolved excitations due to the crystal-field splitting of the U4+ 5f 2 J=4 (3H4) Hund's rule ground state, and they show the first excited multiplet (3F2) at 550 meV. In RIXS the 3H43F2 transition has a strong cross-section due to the beyond dipole features of the RIXS process which is in strong contrast to the dipole cross-section of inelastic neutron scattering. Hence, the present experiment settles the discussion about the U4+ multiplet splitting in UO2. The data are simulated with a full multiplet RIXS calculation, taking into account the RIXS cross-section.

[1] G. H. Lander et al., tbp

*MS gratefullyacknowledges the financialsupportof the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under project SE1441-5-1.

Presenters

  • Martin Sundermann

    • Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
    • Institute of Physics II, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Authors

  • Martin Sundermann

    • Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
    • Institute of Physics II, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Gerard H Lander

    • European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)
  • Ross Springell

    • Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol
  • Andrew Walters

    • Diamond Light Source
    • Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • Abhishek Nag

    • Diamond Light Source
    • Diamond Light Source, UK
  • Mirian Garcia-Fernnandez

    • Diamond Light Source
    • Diamond Light Source, UK
    • Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus
  • Ke-jin Zhou

    • Diamond Light Source
    • Diamond Light Source, UK
    • Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus
  • Gerrit Van der Laan

    • Diamond Light Source
    • Diamond Light Source Ltd
  • Roberto G. M. Caciuffo

    • European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)
    • DG Joint Research Centre, Directorate G-Nuclear Safety and Security, Karlsruhe, Germany