Figure 2.

XANES spectra of the Ln³⁺ L₃-edge absorption in the LnTp₃ compounds (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu): experimentally measured (a) and calculated with the finite-difference calculations (b). For the sake of clarity, the spectra have been scaled to the same maximum height and offset along the Y-axis. The curves are shown in a unified energy scale, with zero corresponding to the position of the white line (W). Other spectral features (pre-edge structure and two postedge peaks) are marked in the left panel as A, B, and C, respectively. Dashed and dotted lines are guides to the eye. The fragment of the NdTp₃ structure (Nd and the first coordination shell of D_3h symmetry) is provided in the right panel. Bond lengths are in angstroms.