A new probe for local structure: Paramagnetic hyperfine structure in Nd3+ Mössbauer spectra

The⁴I_9/2 ground state of Nd³⁺ (4f³) is split by a crystal field of lower than cubic symmetry into five Kramer doublets. The magnetic hyperfine interactions can be calculated by using an effective magnetic hyperfine tensor Ã, which is obtained from the linear combination coefficients of the ground state doublet eigenvector. The hyperfine tensor à and the line shape depend strongly on the local structure of the system. Nondiagonal magnetic hyperfine interactions produce nonadiabatic relaxation. Corresponding lineshapes are calculated by means of the Clauser-Blume model and the eigenvalue treatment of superoperators. We found for Nd³⁺ in the investigated laser phosphate glass a network-forming function consistent with aC _3h orD _3h point symmetry.