Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering of CeB6 at the Ce L1- and L3-edges

We report a resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) study of crystalline CeB6. Ce Lα1,2 RIXS was measured with excitation energies resonant with the Ce L3-edge. A lifetime-broadening suppressed x-ray absorption near-edge structure (LBS-XANES), which successfully reproduced the Lα1,2 RIXS spectra over wide ranges of excitation and emission energies, was simulated using the SIM-RIXS program. A pre-edge structure in the LBS-XANES can be resolved, and many-body effects were suggested in the Lα1,2 RIXS around the Ce L3-edge energy. No convincing signs of Ce (II) or Ce (IV) states were observed in the LBS-XANES. Ce Lγ4 RIXS was measured at 302 K and 28 K with excitation energies across the Ce L1-edge. The interactions of p-valence electrons between Ce and B6 were found to be considerably small, regardless of temperature. Thus, the electronic state of CeB6 was concluded to be suitably described as a nominally Ce(4f 1)3+(e−)(B6)2− system with some hybridization among all valence orbitals of Ce and B.