Magnetic susceptibility and electron spin resonance of the semiconducting mixed crystal V2MoO8 (V2O5 · MoO3)

The transition metal lattice sites of V₂MoO₈ are occupied by vanadium- and molybdenum ions in a disordered way. Our measurements of the magnetic susceptibility and the electric conductivity show that V₂MoO₈ is paramagnetic and semiconducting. The ESR investigations prove the existence of localizedd electrons (Anderson localization). A hopping process of thesed electrons in vanadium 3d orbitals leads to an ESR line narrowing. Above 50 K a line broadening occurs which is interpreted as a shortening of the effective lifetime of the localizedd electrons.     

Magnetic characterization of vanadium oxide/polyaniline nanotubes

We present a magnetic study of vanadium oxide nanotubes (VO_x-NTs) with polyaniline (PAni). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows the tubular shape and the multi-wall structure of the nanotubes. The static magnetic susceptibility measured at different magnetic fields shows a Curie behavior, while the magnetization versus magnetic field presents a non-linear dependence at low temperatures. Both experiments can be explained by the presence of paramagnetic ions with S = 1/2. Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance technique, we identified as V⁴⁺(3d¹) the paramagnetic ions present in the nanostructures. All the experimental results can be explained by a fraction between 14% and 18% of V⁴⁺ with respect to the total V atoms in the system.     

Magnetic properties of CuRh alloys

By means of rapid quenching techniques single phased samples of Cu_xRh_1?x(0?x?1) were obtained. For these alloys the Knight shift of ⁶³Cu and ¹⁰³Rh has been determined employing pulsed NMR at low temperatures, furthermore the magnetic susceptibility was measured for temperatures between 4.2 and 300 K. While the Knight shift of ¹⁰³Rh is dominated by s-electron contributions in spite of a high density of d-states at the Fermi level, for the susceptibility, however, the d-electron contributions prevail. In addition the susceptibility shows a pronounced maximum at about 10 at.% Cu. Using the extrapolated Knight shift of copper (x→0) we estimate a net copper hyperfine field of — 15 T in close agreement with the corresponding values for CuPd and CuPt.     

NMR,magnetic susceptibility and specific heat of CrAl7

The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility, Knight shift and specific heat for the compound CrAl₇ have been measured. These measurements point out that, at the temperature around T_N ≈220 K the compound CrAl₇ presents a second order phase transition from the electron itinerant antiferromagnetism state to the paramagnetic state. The NMR and magnetic susceptibility measurements are correlated and the results are discussed in terms of the electron itinerant antifer-romagnetism and rigid band models. For the temperature independent-term of the susceptibility all the contributions are given.     

Magnetic properties in the series TlV5−yMyS8 (M = Ti,V, Cr,Mn, Fe; O ≤y ≤ 1)

Single phased ternary vanadium sulfides with various 3d transition metal substitutes were prepared by thermal treatment and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Magnetic susceptibility measurements on the homogeneous powders reveal that itinerant and localized magnetism in all samples co-exists, due to the inequivalent vanadium sites in the structure. While the substitution of V with Ti to Mn has only a small effect on the magnetic properties, the substitution with Fe brings out a localized magnetic moment. The behaviour of the series will be discussed.     

Dual nature of electron spin resonance in YbCo2Zn20 intermetallic compound

In single crystals of YbCo₂Zn₂₀ intermetallic compound, two coexisting types of electron spin resonance signals related to the localized magnetic moments of cobalt and to itinerant electrons have been observed in the 4.2–300 K temperature range. It is shown that the relative contribution of itinerant electrons to the total magnetization does not exceed 9%. We argue that the electron dynamics in YbCo₂Zn₂₀ and YbCuAl heavy fermion systems is determined by the effects produced by the magnetic subsystem of the localized 3d-electrons. We also discuss general aspects of the electron spin resonance spectroscopy in underdoped ytterbium-based intermetallics and the spectral manifestations of the interplay between the efficiency of the hybridization of f-electrons with the electrons filling outer atomic shells, crystal field effects, and the effects related to the proximity to the quantum critical point.     

Low temperature susceptibility of Al- and Fe-Vanadium oxide bronze (VOB): Comparison of AC/DC measurements with calculation

We have measured the ac- and dc-susceptibilities of semiconducting Vanadium Oxide Bronze (VOB) containing Al and Fe donor atoms. Due to structural reasons, the donor atoms are randomly distributed and transfer their three electrons to the non-magnetic vanadium atoms, thereby creating randomly three V⁴⁺ atoms. The magnetic ordering of the vanadium subsystem has previously been attributed to antiferromagnetically coupled spin pairs of V⁴⁺ ions [1]. The measured susceptibilities are similar to those of spin glasses. Comparison of the data with the calculated isothermal susceptibility shows that the system is far away from equilibrium below the magnetic ordering temperatureT _M .     

E.P.R. evidence of sodium clustering in NaxV2O5-β

The β-phase of the vanadium bronzes Na_xV₂O₅ has been studied by E.P.R. as a function of x(0.21 ? x ? 0.33). The behaviour of the spin E.P.R. susceptibility is in agreement with the hypothesis of a complete transfer of electrons from sodium to vanadium sites. In addition, the dependence on sodium concentration indicates that the sodium atoms are not randomly distributed when x < 0.33.     

Electronic and magnetic properties of layered LnFePO (Ln=La and Ce)

Effects of the replacement of La with Ce on the electronic and magnetic properties of a layered superconductor LaFePO (T_c=∼5 K) were studied. Polycrystalline samples of CeFePO, prepared by a solid-state reaction, showed metallic conduction down to 2 K without exhibiting superconducting transition, although the resistivity decreased largely at temperatures below 30 K. Further, they showed an apparent positive magnetoresistance (MR) below ∼2 K, superposed on a negative MR. Temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility is decomposed to a temperature-sensitive Curie-Weiss component presumably due to the Ce³⁺ ions with a magnetic moment of 1.98μ_B and a less temperature-sensitive component attributable to itinerant electrons. The magnetic interaction between Ce³⁺ ions and itinerant electrons in CeFePO likely suppresses the superconducting transition observed in LaFePO.     

Anisotropic susceptibility of (Ti1−xVx)2O3 single crystals

Anisotropy of the susceptibility, which depends on vanadium concentration, was observed for (Ti_1?xV_x)₂O₃(x=0.005, 0.015, 0.02) single crystals. The anisotropy is hard to interpret by localized magnetic states of vanadium ions.     

Magnetic properties of V5S8 single crystals

The magnetic properties of V₅S₈ single crystals have been investigated by susceptibility and torque measurements. The susceptibilities parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic easy axis show a remarkable anisotropy below the Neel temperature of 32 K and are nearly Isotropie above that temperature. The easy axis is found to be nearly along the c-axis of the monoclinic lattice, being inclined at an angle of 9.6 ± 1.0° from the c-axis toward the a-axis. The torque curves, measured up to 24.4 kOe at liquid helium temperature, deviate from the usual form of a sine function with increasing magnetic field. The analysis of these torque curves suggests that spin flopping may occur at 43 kOe, a comparatively low critical field. Using these experimental results, a localized d-electron model for a particular site of the vanadium-ion, proposed by previous investigators, is examined.     

NMR and magnetic susceptibility of the intermetallic pseudo-binary compounds Ce1−xRxAl3 with R=Gd,Tb and Er

The NMR and magnetic susceptibility of the intermetallic pseudo-binary compounds Ce_1?xGd_xAl₃ (x=0·01; 0·03; 0·05; 0·07), Ce_0·95Tb_0·05Al₃ and Ce_0·975Er_0·025Al₃ were investigated. The susceptibility is given by the sum of a temperature independent term and a Curie-Weiss one. The last one results from the contribution of the localized free-ion magnetic moments of all the rare-earth ions which are also responsible for the strong temperature dependent Knight shifts of the NMR lines of ²⁷Al nuclei via the exchange polarization of the conduction electrons. The ²⁷Al NMR spectra exhibit besides the line due to Al sites surrounded in the first coordination sphere as in CeAl₃ a second peak with a lower Knight shift due to Al nuclei positioned in the vicinity of a Gd, Tb or Er ion.     

Local surrounding of vanadium atoms in CuCr1 − x V x S2: X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis

In the present work local surrounding of vanadium atoms in layered copper-chromium disulfides CuCr_{1 ? x} V _x S₂ is investigated using high-resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy above vanadium K-edge. Based on experimental and theoretically simulated spectra comparison it is shown that vanadium atoms replace chromium ones even at high concentrations of vanadium and that they are in 3+ oxidation state.     

Magnetic susceptibilities and knight shifts of the intermetallic compounds NdCu4 and NdCu5

The magnetic susceptibility and Knight shift of the intermetallic compounds NdCu₄ and NdCu₅ were investigated over the temperature range 80–850 K. The most important contributions to the magnetic susceptibility are the Curie-Weiss term, expressing the paramagnetism of the localized 4?-electrons, and a temperature independent term, both of which have been determined. The phenomenological quantity J_s? between the 4?-electron and conduction electron spins was found to be ?2.46.10^?3eV for NdCu₄ and 1.35.10^?3 eV for NdCu₅. A reversal in the sign of the s-? coupling for CeCu₅ was noted.     

Covalent distribution of spin in V2O3:O17 nuclear resonance

O¹⁷ nuclear magnetic resonance has been observed in metallic V₂O₃ with frequency shifts from (?0.10 ± 0.02)-(?0.05 ± 0.02) per cent between 170 and 460°K respectively, a linewidth of 37 ± 5 oe and spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T₁ ≈ 60 sec^?1 at 296°K. From these quantities, covalency parameters f_s/2S = ? 0.35 × 10^?3 and ?_π/2S ≈ ? 0.07 are calculated. One of the two vanadium 3d electrons in the antiferromagnetic state below the 170°K metal-insulator transition is inferred to lie in a non-magnetic state, while covalent charge transfer augments the spin moment of the other 3d electron to the observed 1.2 μ_B.     

Knight shifts and magnetic susceptibilities of the intermetallic compounds CeCu4 and CeCu5

The magnetic susceptibility and Knight shift of the compounds CeCu₄ and CeCu₅ have been measured over the temperature ranges 80–800 and 140–400 K, respectively. The most important contributions to the magnetic susceptibility are the Curie-Weiss term, expressing the paramagnetism of the localized ?-electrons, and a temperature independent term, which have both been determined. The phenomenological exchange integral F_s? between the 4?-electron spins and conduction electron spins was found to be ?10.43× 10^?3 eV for CeCu₄ and 3.9 × 10^?3 eV for CeCu₅. A reversal in the sign of the s?? coupling for CeCu₅ is noted.     

237Np Mössbauer studies on actinide superconductors and related materials

Actinide materials play a special role in condensed matter physics, spanning behaviours of itinerant d-electron and localized 4f-electron materials. This duality of the 5f electrons confer to actinide-based intermetallic compounds a broad variety of physical properties such as magnetic or multipolar ordering, heavy fermion behaviour, quantum criticality, unconventional superconductivity... ²³⁷Np Mössbauer spectroscopy is a unique microscopic tool for gaining information on the electronic and magnetic properties of Np systems.     

Magnetic properties of half-metallic semi Heusler Co1−xCuxMnSb compounds

A study of the half-metallic character of the semi Heusler alloys Co_1−xCu_xMnSb (0?x?0.9) is presented. We investigated the saturation magnetization M_S at temperatures from 5 K to room temperature and the temperature dependence of the DC magnetic susceptibility χ above Curie temperature T_C. The magnetic moments at 5 K, for most compositions are very close to the quantized value of 4 μ_B for Mn³⁺ ion, the compound with 90% Co substituted by Cu is still ferromagnetic with M_S (5 K)=3.78 μ_B/f.u. These results emphasize the role of Co atoms in maintaining the ferromagnetic order in the material. The Curie temperature is decreased from 476 K to about 300 K as the Cu content increases from 0% to 90%. Above T_C, the χ⁻¹ vs T curves follow very well the Curie–Weiss law. The effective moment μ_eff and paramagnetic Curie temperature θ are derived. A comparison between the values of M_S at 5 K and μ_eff shows a transition from localized to itinerant spin system in these compounds.     

Nuclear resonance measurements of CePd2Ga3

CePd₂Ga₃, a Kondo lattice exhibiting ferromagnetic order below T _C = 6.3 K, has been studied using Ga NMR technique. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility on an oriented sample proved the strong anisotropy of this quantity, whose major component is in the basal plane. From the analysis of NMR spectra of differently oriented samples, the quadrupole parameters and the temperature-dependent anisotropic Knight-shift have been determined. While the anisotropy of the susceptibility can sufficiently account for the axial anisotropy of the ⁷¹Ga Knight shift, the in-plane anisotropy of the shift points towards dipolar effects enhanced by hybridization of the Ce-4f and Ga-s electrons.