Photoacoustic Spectroscopy of Rare Earth Oxides

A collection of photoacoustic spectra of several readily available stoichiometric rare earth oxide powders is presented. J levels of these spectra are assigned. In addition to the traditional applications of photoacoustic spectroscopy (chemical, physical, and analytical investigations), the technique is useful for studying the kinetics and thermodynamics of intermediate phases of rare earth oxides and surface photochemical reactions of rare earth oxides. The spectra may also reveal information on the lattice structure of powder grains. The need for additional work in rare earth oxide spectroscopy is pointed out.