Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is a powerful tool for probing the ground-state electronic configurations of actinide materials. However, in certain metallic uranium compounds, RIXS fails to detect excitations from the ground-state multiplet. This absence is attributed to strong hybridization between uranium $5f$ electrons and conduction electrons. In the present study, we extend RIXS investigations to a $16\mu \mathrm{g}$ sample of the metallic compound ${\mathrm{AmFe}}_2$, marking an experiment at the $M_{4,5}$ edges of a transuranium material. Americium in ${\mathrm{AmFe}}_2$ adopts a trivalent (${\mathrm{Am}}^{3+}$) state with a $5f^6$ electronic configuration having a $J$ = 0 ground state, with the $5f$ states located approximately 3 eV below $E_F$. The RIXS spectra exhibit well-resolved features that are in good agreement with theory. The localized nature of the $5f$ electrons in ${\mathrm{AmFe}}_2$ permits the observation of multiplet excitations despite its metallic character. These observations extend our understanding of RIXS in actinide systems.

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• Electronic structure
• First-principles calculations
• Actinides
• Strongly correlated systems
• Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering