5f states in UGa2 probed by x-ray spectroscopies

The 5f -based ferromagnet UGa2 with the Curie temperature TC = 125K was investigated by x-ray absorption
spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments at the U–M4,5 and Ga–K
edges. The position of the U–M4 white line, determined in the high-energy resolution fluorescence detection
XAS, suggests that UGa2 is neither a localized 5f 2 nor an itinerant system with 5f occupancy close to n5f = 3.
The analysis of the acquired M4,5XANES and XMCD spectra indicates the 5f occupancy close to 2.5 and a
large orbital magnetic moment of the uranium 5f states (3.18 μB) that is partly compensated by the antiparallel
spin moment (1.31 μB). Thus, the total 5f magnetic moment of 1.87 μB is obtained, which is smaller than
the known bulk magnetization of 3.0 μB per formula unit, while the magnetic moments of the Ga atoms are
negligible. Several methods based on density-functional theory were applied and the obtained results were
compared with XAS spectral features, the Sommerfeld coefficient of the electronic specific heat, and the size of
the U moments and 5f occupancies. A clear correlation is revealed between the U–M4 white-line position of three
metallic uranium compounds and the calculated uranium ionicity. It is demonstrated that only electronic structure
methods taking appropriate care of orbital magnetism and related atomic multiplet effects can successfully
describe all considered properties