Quadrupole interactions at europium sites in Eu₃V₂O₇ and Eu₂VO₄

Abstract

The electric-quadrupole interactions at the Eu sites in Eu₃V₂O₇ and Eu₂VO₄ oxides have been studied at room temperature with¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy. Both divalent and trivalent Eu ions were found in the oxides. The fraction of Eu²⁺ is 17.1(8)% in Eu₃V₂O₇ and 39.0(1.6) % in Eu₂VO₄. The values of the quadrupole coupling constant, eV_zzQ_g, obtained from the fits using a full Hamiltonian method are −6.594(50) and −8.043(65) mm/s for Eu³⁺, and −13.168(402) and −18.032(134) mm/s for Eu²⁺, respectively in Eu₃V₂O₇ and Eu₂VO₄. The magnitude of eV_zzQ_g in Eu₂VO₄ is the largest ever reported for Eu²⁺ in any Eu oxide system.