We report a coordinated Raman/computation study of the rare earth nitrides, a series of intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductors, to reveal the presence of cation vacancies. Their presence is signaled by a Raman-active vibrational mode at 1100–1400 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-1}$, rising steadily as the lattice contracts across the series. The mode's frequency is in excellent agreement with the computed breathing-mode vibration of the six nitrogen ions surrounding cation vacancies. The discovery of such cation vacancies opens the door for hole doping that has so far been lacking in the exploitation of rare earth nitrides.

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• Point defects
• Vacancies
• Lanthanides
• Nitrides
• Density functional calculations
• Raman spectroscopy