TY  - JOUR
AU  - Marino, Andrea
AU  - Sundermann, Martin
AU  - Christovam, Denise Sacramento
AU  - Amorese, Andrea
AU  - Chang, Chun-Fu
AU  - Dolmantas, Paulius
AU  - Said, Ayman H.
AU  - Gretarsson, Hlynur
AU  - Keimer, Bernhard
AU  - Haverkort, Maurits W.
AU  - Andreev, Alexander V.
AU  - Havela, Ladislav
AU  - Thalmeier, Peter
AU  - Tjeng, Liu Hao
AU  - Severing, Andrea
TI  - Singlet magnetism in intermetallic UGa<sub>2</sub> unveiled by inelastic x-ray scattering
JO  - Physical review / B
VL  - 108
IS  - 4
SN  - 2469-9950
CY  - Woodbury, NY
PB  - Inst.
M1  - PUBDB-2023-04840
SP  - 045142
PY  - 2023
AB  - Using high resolution tender x-ray resonant inelastic scattering and hard x-ray nonresonant inelastic scattering beyond the dipole limit we were able to detect electronic excitations in intermetallic UGa<sub>2</sub> that are highly atomic in nature. Analysis of the spectral lineshape reveals that the local 5f<sup>2</sup> configuration characterizes the correlated nature of this ferromagnet. The orientation and directional dependence of the spectra indicate that the ground state is made of the Γ<sub>1</sub> singlet and/or Γ<sub>6</sub> doublet symmetry. With the ordered moment in the ab plane, we infer that the magnetism originates from the higher lying Γ<sub>6</sub> doublet being mixed with the Γ<sub>1</sub> singlet due to intersite exchange, qualifying UGa<sub>2</sub> to be a true quantum magnet. The ability to observe atomic excitations is crucial to resolve the ongoing debate about the degree of localization versus itineracy in U intermetallics.  
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:001103167400001
DO  - DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.108.045142
UR  - https://bib-pubdb1.desy.de/record/588614
ER  -