Local magnetic field and muon site in CeAs

We report on zero field and longitudinal field μSR experiments on a CeAs single crystal between 3.3 and 12 K. Below the antiferromagnetic transition at 7.5 K a spontaneously precessing signal with a saturation frequency of \approx25 MHz representing the full sample amplitude has been found. From an analysis of the field dependence of the relaxation rate of this signal in \langle 100\rangle and \langle 110\rangle crystal orientation parallel to the muon spin and the applied longitudinal field, a \langle 100\rangle orientation of the local field at the muon site is concluded. This supports an AF‐I single‐\veck magnetic ordering. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influence of doping admixture and anisotropic tension on behaviour of muon spin polarization in insulators

Zero‐field μSR measurements have been carried out in the paramagnetic and magnetically ordered states of the heavy fermion alloys: Ce_1-xLa_xRu₂Si₂ (x=0.05,0.13,0.25). In Ce_1-xLa_xRu₂Si₂ system, T_K drastically decreases with x from 24 K for x=0 and becomes very close to the magnetic ordering temperature T_N. As functions of T_K and T_N, the magnetic instabilities were studied in this system. For x=0.05,\ 0.13\ \mboxand\ 0.25 samples, longitudinal muon spin relaxation was measured to study non‐magnetic to magnetic transition and the change from itinerant to localized electron state with increasing La impurities. We discuss the dynamics of muon spins in the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic state. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A μSR Study of Er Spin Dynamics in (Y1−x Er x )Ni2B2C Superconductors

Zero field μSR has been used to probe rare earth spin dynamics in the magnetic superconductors, Y_1−x Er _x Ni₂B₂C. The muon spin relaxation function is stretched exponential, exp (−(λt)^β), in form, as usually found for spin glass systems above the glass temperature. However, the Y_1−x Er _x Ni₂B₂C compounds show no evidence of coexisting superconducting and static spin glass ground states even at concentrations below the critical value (x=0.6) for long range antiferromagnetic order. The temperature dependence of both the muon spin relaxation rate λ and the exponent β suggests that Er spin dynamics change significantly at the superconducting transition temperature. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Muon spin relaxation investigation of frustrated antiferromagnetic pyrochlores A2B2O7

In a system where magnetic ions occupy the vertices of edge or corner sharing triangular units, the natural antiferromagnetic coupling between ions is geometrically frustrated. A wide variety of interesting magnetic behaviour has been observed in pyrochlores, where magnetic ions form a network of corner sharing tetrahedra. The low temperature spin dynamics of a number of pyrochlores A₂B₂O₇ have been investigated using the technique of μ SR. For example, Y₂Mo₂O₇ shows a transition to a disordered magnetic state similar to a spin glass at T_F=22 K. However, unlike conventional metallic spin glasses, a non‐zero muon spin depolarization rate is observed to persist well below 0.1\ T_F. These results suggest that there is a finite density of states for magnetic excitations in this system near zero energy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

μ+SR study of heavy-fermion magnetism in Ce(Cu1-xNix)2Ge2

We report muon spin relaxation (μ⁺SR) studies on the magnetic phase diagram of Ce(Cu_1-xNi_x)₂Ge₂ polycrystals for 0.5≤ x ≤ 0.8. A sharp magnetic transition, evidenced by the appearance of a fast Gaussian relaxation component σ, has been observed in the x = 0.5 alloy at 4.0 K in zero applied field. The average local field < B_μ> at the stopping sites of the muons, extracted from σ, exhibits a linear temperature dependence. We associate these features with an incommensurate spin density wave (SDW) ordering. Magnetic ordering, either long range or short range, and signatures of non-Fermi liquid behaviour have not been observed down to 2.0 K at x = 0.8. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

μ–H Interaction in Hydrogen Bonding Systems

Muon spin rotation (μSR) experiments were performed on single crystal samples of KH₂PO₄(KDP) and KD₂PO₄(dKDP) to study the dynamics of hydrogen in hydrogen bonding systems. At low temperature, the nuclear dipole interaction of muon and proton was confirmed from the angular dependence of precession frequency of the muon spin under zero magnetic field. The muon occupation site was also determined. A clear change in μSR spectra was observed at the antiferroelectric transition temperature (123 K). At 90 K well below the transition temperature, the muon spin starts to relax, possibly due to muon dynamics. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

μSR on an induced‐moment spin glass system: Hg1-xFexSe

Zero and longitudinal field μSR have been used to examine the singlet ground state magnetism of the diluted magnetic semiconductor Hg_1-xFe_xSe. For x\geq 0.05\ μSR experiments indicate spin glass behaviour which is limited to sample regions with locally enhanced Fe²⁺ content. Longitudinal field spectra in the glassy state reveal a static local field \sim 50 mT due to induced moments of Fe²⁺. These are proposed to originate from a distribution of bound magnetic polaron energies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

μSR on the novel heavy‐fermion system Nd2-yCeyCuO4

The magnetic correlations in Nd_2-yCe_yCuO₄ have been studied by zero and longitudinal field μSR. Nd_1.8Ce_0.2CuO₄ reveals a saturation of the muon relaxation rate below 0.5 K. Even down to 70 mK LF spectra evidence spin fluctuations in the dynamic regime with a rate of \sim 10⁹ s^-1 excluding long range magnetic order or spin glass freezing. The average Nd moment is estimated to be \approx 0.2\mu_B, i.e., strongly reduced from the value determined for the ground state Kramers doublet of Nd₂CuO₄. Extending former μSR measurements on Nd₂CuO₄, a gradual enhancement of the internal field has been detected below 10 K which is accompanied by an increase of the relaxation rate. These results are attributed to the development of ordered Nd moments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Spin fluctuations and magnetic order in the heavy fermion compound CePt2Sn2

We present zero and longitudinal field μ SR measurements of single crystal and polycrystalline specimens of the heavy fermion compound CePt₂Sn₂. Above 1 K the behaviour of the two samples is indistinguishable; the muon 1/T_1 increases with decreasing temperature until 25 K when it plateaus. The 1/T_1 relaxation rate differs strongly for the two cases below \sim\,0.8\ K. At 0.1 K a rate of about 20 μ s^-1 is seen in the polycrystal while in the single crystal it is only about 5 μ s^-1. Even more revealing is the fact that longitudinal field decoupling spectra at very low temperatures demonstrate an essentially static spin system to be present in the polycrystalline material while the single crystal shows definite dynamic spin properties. We conclude that, in the presence of the distortion, long range magnetic order occurs below 0.9 K while in tetragonal symmetry long range order is suppressed (probably due to frustration) and spin fluctuations remain for T\rightarrow0. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Valence fluctuations in ternary europium compounds

We outline the possibility to study europium valence fluctuations with the μSR method and report on μSR experiments on the intermetallic compounds EuPdAs and NdPdAs. Above a magnetic transition at 15 K the temperature dependence of the relaxation rate in the trivalent neodymium system behaves like a typical localized moment system. In the valence fluctuating europium compound the zero field relaxation rate levels off at 1.0\ μs^-1 above 40 K. Furthermore, the relaxation enhancement in transverse field experiments is much smaller than expected for a pure dipolar coupling. Therefore an isotropic hyperfine coupling of typical strength is assumed and a valence fluctuation rate of 0.8 μs^-1 at 200 K is derived. Below the magnetic transition at 5 K a disordered spin freezing is concluded in EuPdAs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High‐pressure μSR studies of ferro‐ and antiferromagnetic metals

High‐pressure μSR experiments on ferromagnetic nickel and \alpha‐iron and antiferromagnetic chromium are reported. In Ni above 260 K B_Fermi was found to be proportional to the saturation magnetization, whereas at lower temperatures it is temperature independent apart from a small anomaly below 30 K which is presumably caused by a magnetoelastic interaction. There was no evidence for an occupation of metastable sites by the μ⁺ below the Curie temperature. By contrast, in \alpha‐Fe the temperature dependence of \curpartialB_μ/\curpartialp shows a structure which might be attributed to the occupation of excited muon states at elevated temperatures. High‐pressure zero‐field experiments on Cr performed in the temperature regime between 4.5 K and 8 K revealed a pressure dependence of B_μ as large as \curpartialB_μ/\curpartialp=-(89.15\pm 0.06)\times 10^-12 T/Pa. In terms of volume dependence a very large negative Grüneisen parameter \gamma =-27 was obtained. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

μSR study of a mixed compound NiC2O4 2⋅(2-methylimidazole)x(H2O)1-x

We examined the muon spin relaxation (μSR) of mixed compounds NiC₂O₄ 2⋅(2-methylimidazole)_x(H₂O)_1-x with x=1.0 and 0.49. Although the macroscopic magnetic properties are obviously different from each other, both systems exhibit similar behavior in the muon spin relaxation. In addition, in the x=0.49 (SG) sample, a critical slowing down of spin dynamics was not observed in this μSR measurement, though the spin-glass like freezing was observed in the susceptibility measurements. Qualitative explanation of these anomalous observations is given. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

First direct evidence for a magnetic phase transition in the heavy-electron system UCd11

Muon-spin-rotation and relaxation measurements performed on polycrystalline UCd₁₁ give first direct evidence for an antiferromagnetic phase transition at 5 K. As far as probed by the positive muon the behaviour close to the phase transition is clearly contrasted to that in other magnetic heavy-electron materials investigated by μ⁺SR, e.g. U₂Zn₁₇ and UCu₅, because in UCd₁₁ longitudinal field measurements reveal dynamic relaxation effects which are attributed to the critical slowing down of the uranium 5f-moments. No signal could be observed in the ordered regime because of a large dipolar field spread.     

Frequency shift and relaxation of muon-spin-precession in Cd1−xMnxTe

Transverse-field muon spin roation (μSR) is studied in Cd_1−xMn_xTe, x=0.4 and 0.6 mixed crystals. A large temperature dependent frequency shift and a strong relaxation of the μSR-signal are observed. In the vicinity of the spinglass transition, the relaxation rate becomes so large that the signal disappears. The rate of Mn spin fluctuations causing the μ⁺-line narrowing at high temperatures is estimated to be of the order of 10⁹ S⁻¹.     

Studies of diluted antiferromagnets MnxMg1-xTiO3 with x=0.55 and 0.70 by muon spin relaxation method

Longitudinal fields μSR measurements have been performed in order to probe the spin dynamics in the diluted antiferromagnets Mn_xMg_1-xTiO₃ with x=0.70 and 0.55. In the x=0.70 sample which forms the antiferromagnetic long‐range order, the static and fluctuating fields coexist at the muon stopping site below T_N. On the other hand, in the x=0.55 sample which shows the spin‐glass behavior, the local fields fluctuate rather fast even below T_SG. We infer that this drastic change occurs when Mn_xMg_1-xTiO₃ transforms from an antiferromagnetic system to a spin‐glass system by dilution. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

MuSR/μ+SR studies in KDP and DKDP

The temperature dependence of muon interactions has been studied in ferroelectric KDP ( H₂KPO₄) and DKDP ( D₂KPO₄) using conventional μSR and muon spin resonance spectroscopy. In longitudinal field measurements, a fast relaxing component and a slow relaxing component were observed. The slow relaxing component is attributed to diamagnetic muons. The muon spin resonance measurements indicate that the fast relaxing component results from some muonium like species: either normal or anomalous. In zero field and weak longitudinal field μSR (0–100 G), a remarkable peak in the fast relaxing component is observed around 220 K in both KDP and DKDP. An additional feature is also seen around 300 K. The amplitude of the resonance measurement has a broad minimum around 200 K which corresponds to the maximum in the relaxation rate in longitudinal field (100 G). The temperature dependence of the muonium relaxation rate in KDP is almost identical to that of DKDP. The diamagnetic fraction also shows almost no difference in relaxation rate or asymmetry for DKDP and KDP. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Low temperature magnetic properties of NdCu2

μSR experiments on NdCu₂ give evidence for short range order below 25\ K above T_N=6.5\ K. No signal was detected between 16\ K and 1.2\ K where neutron scattering reveals an incommensurate spin structure. Below 1.2\ K the μSR signal is recovered and shows a rotation with 22 MHz. This is interpreted with a squaring up of Nd spins accompanied by a decrease of magnon excitations which is reflected in a decrease of damping of the muon signal. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Electric field influence on spin polarization vector behaviour of the negative muon in silicon

When a negatively charged muon is captured by a silicon atom, the atom is transformed into a solitary acceptor center similar to an Al atom. An external electric field influences the formation process of the neutral acceptor center (A.C.). It is shown in this article that the behaviour of the muon polarization vector changes appreciably in electric fields with intensities E\,\gtrsim\,10 V/cm. We estimate the muon spin relaxation rate \varLambda_μ in the so‐called “dirty limit”; for example, interaction between an internal electric field from charged impurities and a nonzero dipole moment of the A.C. is taken into account. A phonon mechanism is proposed to explain the temperature dependence of \varLambda_μ. We also estimate the value of the paramagnetic shift of the muon spin precession frequency \delta\omega/\omega₀ which is also temperature dependent. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Microscopic state of the positive muon in 2H-NbSe2

The microscopic state of the positive muon in the transition metal dichalcogenide 2H-NbSe₂ was studied using the muon spin relaxation method (μ⁺SR). We found that the μ⁺SR spectra consist of two components. The ratio of the two components and the dynamics of the muon change at 140 K, at the charge-density-wave transition temperature (32 K), and again at the superconducting transition temperature (7 K). We discuss the relation between conduction electron properties and the muon's behavior. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Zero‐field μ+SR study of the colossal magnetoresistance material La0.67Ca0.33MnO3

Zero‐field μ⁺SR and resistivity experiments on La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ powder show that the ferromagnetic transition temperature (T_C=274\ K) and resistivity peak temperature coincide to within 1 K, about 10 K higher than T_C determined from the bulk magnetization. The sublattice magnetization \nu_μ(T) is well described for T ≤ T_C by (1-T/T_C)^β , where β =0.345 ± 0.015. Unusual relaxation dynamics suggest a wide distribution of Mn‐ion correlation times. These results are discussed in terms of the effects of polarons on the spin and charge dynamics. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.