Thermal and magnetic study of the crystal field energy levels in dilute rare-earth alloys. I. Lu09035Er00965

The heat capacity from 6 to 300°K and initial susceptibility from 1.3 to 145°K of an Lu1—xErx alloy with x=0.0965 were measured. The susceptibility indicated magnetic transitions at 2.3 and 10.3°K. The magnetic contribution to the heat capacity exhibited an anomaly at approximately 10.3°K along with a Schottky anomaly which is attributed to the crystal field levels of the Er in the alloy. In order to fit the high-temperature tail of the Schottky anomaly, the crystal field levels must have a total splitting of approximately 70 cm−1 with the levels bunched toward higher energies.