Non-spherical magnetic moment in MnAlGe

The magnetic structure factors of MnAlGe (space groupP4/nmm) measured with polarised neutrons have been expressed in terms of the magnetic moment of the Mn atom (site symmetry tetrahedral with tetragonal distortion), the Bessel transforms 〈j _n〉 of the Mn radial functions and the fractional occupancies of the moment density in the various crystal field orbitals. The measured structure factors were least-squares fitted with the theoretical expression involving 〈j _n〉 appropriate to the Mn⁰, Mn⁺ and Mn²⁺ atoms. The best fit was got using Mn⁰ transforms, yielding 1·45µ _B as the Mn magnetic moment. The fractional occupancies of the moment density in the crystal field orbitalsA _1g,B _1g E _g andB _2g were obtained. This analysis shows the magnetic moment to be highly non-spherical with a large fractional occupancy (38%) in theA _1g orbital directed along the tetragonal axis while the fractional occupancies ofB _1g andB _2g are found to be 31% and 30% respectively. The fractional occupancy of the moment in theE _g orbital directed towards the Ge and Al atoms is very low (1%). The spatially averaged moment density of Mn in MnAlGe is more diffuse than that of Mn I and Mn II in isostructural Mn₂Sb.