Parametric energy level analysis of Ho3+: LaCl3

A 20-parameter least-squares fit to the levels of Ho3+:LaCl3 observed by Dieke and Pandey has been obtained. The results are in substantial agreement with their assignments and with the subsequent analysis of Rajnak and Krupke. A considerably more extensive atomic Hamiltonian was used, including operators for two- and three-particle electrostatic interactions, spin–orbit and spin–other-orbit magnetic interaction, two-particle pseudomagnetic configuration-mixing interactions, and single-particle crystal-field interactions. The fit of twenty parameters to 128 observed levels resulted in a mean error of 5.2 cm−1. The results are consistent with similar recent studies of Nd3+ and Pm3+ in the LaCl3 host.