The influence of the local surrounding on the hyperfine interactions in Zr(Fe1−x Ni x )2 compounds

Mössbauer spectroscopy and the TDPAC method have been used to study Zr(Fe_1–x Ni _x )₂ compounds forx0.30. The hyperfine magnetic field at the Fe sites and the quadrupole splitting as functions of nickel concentration were analysed by use of⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. Values of the internal magnetic field on¹⁸¹Ta nuclei have been found by means of the TDPAC method.     

Mössbauer effect study of the pseudo-binary system (Ti1−x Nb x )Fe2

Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements have been done on (Ti_1–x Nb _x )Fe₂ compounds in order to investigate the effect of Nb on the magnetic properties of TiFe₂. The experimental results show that Nb enters the lattice by filling Ti sites, thereby forming a continuous phase over the whole range of Nb concentrations. The Mössbauer spectra at 80 K fitted with a magnetic hyperfine field distribution show a continuous decrease of the average magnetic hyperfine field with increasing Nb concentration, as well as several different magnetic configurations forx0.3.     

Hyperfine interactions in metal extracted from ordinary chondrite Tsarev L5: A study using Mössbauer spectroscopy with high-velocity resolution

For the first time, a study of hyperfine interactions in metal grains extracted from ordinary chondrite Tsarev L5 was done using Mössbauer spectroscopy with high-velocity resolution. Three magnetic (sextets) and one paramagnetic (singlet) components were revealed in the Mössbauer spectrum of extracted metal. The evaluated values of the magnetic hyperfine field were 332.5, 335.4 and 347.2 kOe. On the basis of Mössbauer parameters and metallographic data, the magnetic components were related to the α-Fe(Ni, Co), α′-Fe(Ni, Co) and α₂-Fe(Ni, Co) phases of Fe(Ni, Co) alloy, while the paramagnetic singlet was related to the γ-Fe(Ni, Co) phase.     

Effect of pressure on the valence state of Yb in YbPd2Si2

The intermediate valent behaviour of YbPd₂Si₂ has been studied under pressure in the temperature range from 1.2 K to 90 K by using the 84 keV Mössbauer transition in¹⁷⁰Yb. At 54 kbar and 4.2 K we obtain an increase of the electric field gradient (EFG) by a factor of 3. In addition, the EFG varies strongly with temperature, in contrast to the behaviour at ambient pressure. At 1.2 K a change of the hyperfine pattern is observed indicating a magnetic character of the Yb ion. These results provide evidence of a pressure induced change of the valence state close to 3+.Work supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

A Mössbauer effect study of the Sb impurity site hyperfine field in amorphous Fe80B20

Mössbauer effect was used to determine the Sb site hyperfine field in the amorphous ferromagnet Fe₇₉SbB₂₀. The¹²¹Sb Mössbauer spectrum at 77 K showed a distribution of hyperfine fields with a most probable value of 219 kOe. This result is discussed in terms of the systematics of non-magnetic site hyperfine fields in ferromagnets.⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer effect was also used to determine the most probable value of the Fe site field, , and the width of the field distribution, H. Our measurements yield 280 kOe and H=104 kOe. These results are consistent with previous results on the amorphous ferromagnet Fe₈₀B₂₀.     

Perturbed angular correlation and Mössbauer study of the hydrogen distribution near Ru,Rh and Pd in palladium hydride

Mössbauer experiments with the 90 keV resonance of⁹⁹Ru as well as PAC measurements using the 353 and 528 keV - 90 keV cascades in⁹⁹Ru and the 84 keV - 75 keV cascade in¹⁰⁰Rh were combined in a study of the hyperfine interactions produced by the hydrogen distribution near Ru, Rh and Pd atoms in -PdH_x (0.6x1.0). The electric field gradients produced by the non-cubic nearest neighbour hydrogen distribution were found to be very small. This shows that the protons are very strongly shielded and justifies an interpretation of the Mössbauer spectra in terms of isomer shift distributions only. By combining the two methods one thus can obtain a rather detailed picture of the hydrogen distribution near the probe atoms.     

The lattice location and hyperfine field of implanted Yb in Fe as a function of annealing temperature

A combined study has been made of the lattice location and hyperfine field of Yb implanted into Fe single crystals. The location has been determined by ion channeling and back-scattering, the hyperfine field by perturbed angular correlation (PAC) measurements on¹⁶⁹Yb (decaying to excited states in¹⁶⁹Tm). The channeling experiments indicate that initially about 60% of the Yb atoms occupy substitutional sites in the Fe lattice, while the remaining atoms are not in any specific crystallographic site. On annealing, Yb migrates from substitutional to non-substitutional sites. No Yb atoms remain substitutional after a 600°C anneal. By making PAC measurements at two temperatures for two - cascades in¹⁶⁹Tm, it is found that the PAC pattern can be described using a combined static and time-dependent magnetic interaction. The PAC results show that the average hyperfine field and relaxation parameter decrease on annealing, and that the field disappears after a 600°C anneal. The correlation between the location and the hyperfine field is discussed. A comparison of the results with previous Mössbauer results for¹⁵¹Gd implanted in Fe, together with relaxation parameter measurements on a¹⁶⁹Yb₂O₃ source, suggests that the non-substitutional Yb is internally oxidized in the Fe host.Work partly carried out while at the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford, England and Nuclear Physics Division, AERE, Harwell, England.     

Mössbauer study of spin states in amorphous Fe100−x Zr x alloys

Spin states in amorphous Fe_100–x Zr_x (7x12) are investigated using hyperfine field distributions (HFDs) as derived from⁵⁷Fe transmission Mössbauer experiments. The existence of low-, medium- and high-spin states is demonstrated by three-dimensional projections of HFDs. Temperature dependences of the corresponding average values revealed anomalous behaviour in the vicinity ofT _fc. An increase in the hyperfine magnetic fields observed towards low temperatures is discussed in terms of a ferromagnet-to-spin-glass transition. Utilizing also theT _c values, which were obtained from a thermal scanning Mössbauer technique, we propose a diagram of spin states in amorphous Fe-Zr.     

Pervasiveness of cluster excitations as seen in the Mössbauer spectra of magnetic materials

Magnetic cluster excitations in various physical systems (e.g., soliton bearing one-dimensional solids, metallic alloys, amorphous materials, small particle aggregates, magnetically ordered substances near T_C, transition metal di-chloride graphite intercalation compounds, etc.) are described. Use of Fe-57 Mössbauer effect spectroscopy as a probe of the spin dynamics for inverse autocorrelation times between 10⁷Hz to 10¹⁰ Hz is emphasized. Particular attention is given to systems which exhibit local or long range magnetic order and whose Mössbauer spectra must therefore be described by more than one autocorrelation (or dwell) time for fluctuations between different allowed hyperfine field directions on a given site.     

General cases of the pseudoquadrupole interaction in169Tm

Clauser and Mössbauer [1] showed that the second order (in perturbation theory) magnetic hyperfine interaction, the so called pseudoquadrupole inter-action, in the¹⁶⁹Tm Mössbauer effect can produce apparent isomer shifts. While they assumed two isolated singlets and simplified the coupling, we will show that the second order magnetic hyperfine coupling can be observed in general for any kind of crystalline electric field (CEF) wavefunctions, and that the coupling between many states must often be considered in calculating it. Furthermore since the first order magnetic coupling of the excited CEF states is important, the interaction is best accounted for by diagonalization of the full magnetic hyperfine and CEF Hamiltonian. Examples of the effects that may occur are presented.Work supported by the U. S. Department of Energy.     

Magnetic Structure of FexCu100−x Magnetoresistive Alloys Produced by Mechanical Alloying

Fe _x Cu_100–x magnetoresistive alloys were produced by mechanical alloying. X-ray diffraction shows fcc structure. The room-temperature Mössbauer spectra evolves from an asymmetrical doublet below x=25%, to a broad magnetic hyperfine field distribution above this concentration. Quadrupole splitting of the doublet varies between 0.48 and 0.57 mm/s, and its isomer shift from 0.16 to 0.29 mm/s. Low-temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy displays a B _hf distribution. Magnetization measurements display different features depending on concentration, from mictomagnetism to ferromagnetism. Low-temperature magnetoresistance is measured. Samples with x20% exhibit larger magnetoresistivity ratios. Bulk and hyperfine magnetic properties are correlated in order to explain magnetoresistivity features of these samples.     

Fe57 Mössbauer study in cobalt substituted magnetite

The Mössbauer effect has been studied in the mixed ferrites Co _x Fe_3–x O₄ (forx=0.8, 0.9 and 1) with the spinel structure in the temperature range between 78 and 380 K. The composition withx=1, showed an expected Zeeman spectrum with two overlapping magnetic hyperfine patterns related to the Fe³⁺ ions in tetrahedral and octahedral sites. While for samples withx=0.8 and 0.9 the Mössbauer spectrum for each compound was successfully analysed into three different patterns corresponding to the ferric ions placed at the tetrahedral and octahedral sites and ferrous ions at the octahedral sites, indicating no electron transfer between Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺, where the quantity of cobalt is sufficiently large to be located at the six nearest neighbours to ferrous ions. The Mössbauer effect parameters were calculated for these observed sites and their variation with temperature reported. The reduced hyperfine magnetic fields of the Fe³⁺ (B) ions were found to follow the Brillouin curve forS=5/2 and one third power law. The magnetic ordering temperature was determined to be 815 K and the possible magnetic interactions were discussed.     

57Fe Mössbauer study of amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe73.5Nb3Cu1Si13.5B9 after neutron irradiation

⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy is used to study neutron irradiation induced changes in the short-range order of Fe_73.5Nb₃Cu₁Si_13.5B₉ alloy. The samples are investigated in both amorphous and nanocrystalline states. Neutron irradiation leads to an increase of the standard deviation of a hyperfine field distribution (HFD), implying rearrangement of the atoms towards disordering. Simultaneously, changes in the average value of the hyperfine field and a net magnetic moment position occur as a consequence of a spin reorientation, atom mixing and microscopic stress centres which are introduced by neutron irradiation.     

Mössbauer effect study of the MnxZnyNizFe2O4

A⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer effect study of the triangular Mn_xZn_yNi_zFe₂O₄ system at 78 K has been undertaken. The mean values of the hyperfine magnetic field, the values of standard deviations and the asymmetry parameters have been derived from the distribution diagrams of the hyperfine magnetic field. The dilution process affects only slightly the A-site hyperfine field but it is responsible for a wide distribution of the B-site field. For the highly diluted samples, relaxation processes play an important role. The results of Mössbauer effect investigations can be understood in terms of the lack of the Zn₂₊-O-Fe₃₊ magnetic coupling and the weaker Mn₂₊-O-Fe₃₊ and Ni₂₊-O-Fe₃₊ superexchange interactions as compared to the Fe₃₊-O-Fe₃₊ interactions.     

SYNFOS

An expression for the amplitude of a pulse of synchrotron radiation coherently scattered in the forward direction by a Mössbauer absorber consisting of randomly oriented paramagnetic ironcontaining molecules (for example, a frozen solution of a ⁵⁷Fe protein) in an applied magnetic field is derived from the theory of optics. It is assumed that the hyperfine splittings present in the Mössbauer nuclei can be described in the framework of the spinHamiltonian formalism. In the general case of a thick Mössbauer sample of this kind the response on an incident monochromatic and fully polarized beam cannot be given analytically because of the integrations involved. How nuclear forwardscattering for this general case is evaluated in the program package called SYNFOS is outlined.     

Superconductivity and magnetism in Y1−x Ca x Sr2GaCu2O7−δ

Samples of Y_1–x Ca _x Sr₂GaCu₂O_7– (x=0, 0.4) doped with⁵⁷Fe, prepared under various oxygen pressures, have been studied by magnetometry and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Most of the iron ions (Fe³⁺) enter the Ga(Cu(1)) site. For thex=0 sample, the Mössbauer spectra of the iron nuclei in the Cu(2) sublattice display magnetic order of Cu,T _N=370 K. The iron ions in the Ga site display magnetic order only at low temperatures. At temperatures above 90 K, these iron ions display a pure quadrupole doublet Mössbauer spectrum. The samplex=0.4 also displays magnetic order of the Cu(2) site,T _N370 K. A sharp drop in the hyperfine field is observed atT _N, probably associated with a first-order phase transition or two-dimensional ordering. The iron nuclei in the Ga site display paramagnetic long spin relaxation time phenomena at 4.2 K. Thex=0.4 sample prepared under 110 atm oxygen pressure, displays superconductivity,T _c50 K. The Mössbauer spectra give evidence of the presence of two phases. One displays magnetic order, the other is paramagnetic, the last is probably associated with the superconducting phase.     

161Dy Mössbauer study on magnetic properties in DyZn2 intermetallics

The magnetic properties of the DyZn₂ have been studied by¹⁶¹Dy Mössbauer effect measurements at temperatures from 5.0 to 77.4 K. The spectra are interpreted with a single set of hyperfine parameters. The magnetic hyperfine field is 837 MHz at 5 K, which is very close to the value of Dy³⁺ free ion. Since the relaxation rate increases rapidly as the temperature increases, no accurate hyperfine parameters are obtained analytically nearT _N. The width of the Lorentizian absorption lines increases at the temperatures at which the magnetic structure is an incommensurable moment-modulated one. Anomalies in the -ray transmission rate at zero velocity are observed at 29 and38 K which are the commensurate-incommensurate transition andthe Néel temperatures, respectively. Another anomaly observed around 60 K may originate in a short-range order of Dy moments.     

Study of hexagonal R-type BaFe4Sn2O11 by57Fe and119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy

Mössbauer data have been obtained from both the⁵⁷Fe and¹¹⁹Sn isotopes for BaFe₄Sn₂O₁₁. Variable temperature studies show that magnetic ordering occurs at 77K and is probably complete at 4K. Average hyperfine fields of 504kG and 45kG were observed at the iron and tin nuclei respectively.     

Formation of Ni3Fe by mechanical alloying

Ni and Fe powders in a 7525 atomic proportion were mechanically alloyed using a high-energy ball mill.⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer measurements were made to determine the reaction mechanism for alloy formation by means of analysis of the evolution of the Fe hyperfine fields during milling. After a latent period of 2 hours, the spectral area of an Fe-like component decreased monotonically with milling time, disappearing after 8 hours. It was replaced by a well-resolved Zeeman pattern with hyperfine fieldH=29.1 T and outer lines of width 0.75 mm/s which is attributed to Fe in disordered Ni₃Fe. The evolution of hyperfine fields rules out alloy formation by dissolution of Ni in the Fe matrix or of Fe in the Ni matrix, so that formation must occur by reaction of Ni and Fe at the interfaces between their grains.     

57Fe and119Sn Mössbauer investigations on some substituted barium hexaferrites

⁵⁷Fe and¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer measurements have been carried out on powder samples of three differently substituted M-type barium hexaferrites. By⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer measurements in an external magnetic field applied parallel to the -ray direction, we found a canted spin structure for all samples. Furthermore, we detected a strong preference of the Sn⁴⁺ ions for the 4f₂ sites. From⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer measurements aboveT _N, we conclude that the substitution does not influence the 2b sites. The analysis of the magnetically split¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectra at room temperature in the case of the Co-Sn and Zn-Sn substituted samples shows a strong difference between the two. The spectra were interpreted due to the different surroundings of the Sn⁴⁺ ions.