Inelastic neutron scttering study o fcrystal field levels in PrOs4As12

Abstract

We use neutron scattering to study the Pr$^{3+}$ crystalline electric field (CEF) excitations in the filled skutterudite PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$. By comparing the observed levels and their strengths under neutron excitation with the theoretical spectrum and neutron excitation intensities, we identify the Pr$^{3+}$ CEF levels, and show that the ground state is a magnetic $Gamma_4^{(2)}$ triplet, and the excited states $Gamma_1$, $Gamma_4^{(1)}$ and $Gamma_{23}$ are at 0.4, 13 and 23~meV, respectively. A comparison of the observed CEF levels in PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$ with the heavy fermion superconductor PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ reveals the microscopic origin of the differences in the ground states of these two filled skutterudites.