Linear Dichroism in Angle-Resolved Core-Level Photoemission Spectra Reflecting 4f Ground-State Symmetry of Strongly Correlated Cubic Pr Compounds

We report experimentally observed linear dichroism in angle-resolved core-level photoemission spectra of PrIr2Zn20 and PrB6 with cubic symmetry. The different anisotropic 4f charge distributions between the compounds due to the crystalline-electric-field splitting are responsible for the difference in the linear dichroism, which has been verified by spectral simulations with the full multiplet theory for a single-site Pr3+ ion with cubic symmetry. The observed linear dichroism and polarization-dependent spectra in two different photoelectron directions for PrIr2Zn20 are reproduced by theoretical analysis for the G3 ground state, whereas those of the Pr 3d and 4d core levels indicate the G5 ground state for PrB6.