Models for the heavy rare earth metals and (rare earth) Fe2 compounds involving 5d and 6s electrons

A model involving 5d electrons is introduced to explain the differences between the observed saturation moments in the heavy rare earth metals and those of the corresponding tripositive ions. Atomic 5d states, whose energies are determined by 4f–5d and spin-orbit interactions, are assumed to be broadened into partly overlapping bands with individual widths of the order of 1 eV. The 5d electrons produce negative contributions to the hyperfine fields but positive or near zero contributions to the magnetic moments. It is postulated that the 5d electrons are transferred from the rare earth ions to those of the iron in the (Rare Earth) Fe₂ compounds. This leads to increases in the magnetic hyperfine fields because the negative 5d contributions are lost, but in detailed application of the model increases in the 6s contributions also play a large part. Published energy level and wave function analyses for atomic Gd, Tb, Dy, Er and Tm are used in order to apply the theory to these materials.