Mössbauer study of paramagnetic-like behavior below the Néel temperature in a random mixture Fe x Mn1−x TiO3 withx<0.3

As a part of studies of the microscopic behavior of spins in a mixed compound with competing exchange interactions Fe _x Mn_1–x TiO₃, the Mössbauer technique has been applied to the samples withx=0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 which establish the antiferromagnetic long-range order at the respectiveT _N's and do not show reentrant transitions at lower temperatures. We have found that in each of the three samples, the paramagnetic doublet superimposes on the magnetically split spectrum belowT _N. The peak intensity of the paramagnetic doublet decreases with decreasing temperature and the paramagnetic doublet becomes undetected as sharp peaks at a temperature aroundT _N/2. However, the spectra observed at temperatures lower thanT _N/2 suggest that the paramagnetic doublet still exists, though it is highly broadened. This is interpreted as that short-range clusters of spins fluctuating rather slowly with time coexist with the spins forming the antiferromagnetic long-range order. We consider that these short-range clusters are responsible for the existence of the paramagnetic component contributing to the magnetization versus temperature curve.