Effective 4ƒ energy level in virtual excitation and in photoemission processes in Ce-pnictides

Effects of relaxation of occupied band electrons to the ?-hole state through the hybridization between ? and band states are studied based on a detailed model for Ce-monopnictides. The effective 4? level is shifted about 1–2 eV to shallow energy side from the unrenormalized bare level in processes in which the 4? electron is only virtually excited, such as in excitation to the vacant p band states through the p-? mixing. Photoemission spectra show two peaks, one near the Fermi energy and the other about 3 eV below it. The latter is shifted to deep energy side about 0.5–1 eV from the bare level when it lies near the bottom of the valence band. The discrepancy between the 4? level estimated from the low energy phenomena and that from photoemission is resolved.