Strong correlations in YH(3-delta) evidenced by Raman spectroscopy

Temperature dependent Raman measurements on insulating YH(3-delta) thin films are reported. With increasing temperature we observe a huge broadening of a line corresponding to an yttrium mode. This particular mode is assigned to a breathing vibration of the yttrium atoms around an octahedral hydrogen position. The line broadening is discussed in terms of a coupling between this breathing mode and the electron excited from an octahedral H vacancy into the 4d conduction band of Y, corroborating the strong correlation models for the electronic structure of YH3.