Spin relaxation of conduction electrons in GaAs

We have used optical spin orientation techniques to measure T₁ of conduction electrons in GaAs (NinA ≈ 10¹⁷ cm^-3) for 4.7 K ? T ? 200 K. From Hall effect measurements we estimated the electron momentum relaxation time τ_p. For 50 K ? T ? 200 K, the product T₁τ_p agrees with our earlier order of magnitude estimate of the D'yakonov-Perel' mechanism, in which band structure induced precession is strongly narrowed by momentum relaxation. The Elliott mechanism is one to two orders of magnitude weaker.     

Some peculiarities of spin-lattice relaxation of impurity rare-earth ions in crystals caused by the structure defects

The spin-lattice relaxation times for Nd³⁺ ions in yttrium-aluminum garnets (YAG) and for Yb³⁺ ions in CaF₂ in the low-temperature range have been measured. For the first system the temperature dependence of the relaxation rate is determined to a great extent by the method of sample preparation. For samples grow by the method of the horizontally oriented crystallization the dependence is described asT ₁ ^?1 =AT ⁿ ,n ? 4.7, which is an evidence of an influence of local structure disordering on the relaxation. The temperature dependence of the relaxation rate in CaF₂:Yb is also “anomalous”:T ₁ ^?1 =AT ^3.3. The results are compared with the previous data on the relaxation in similar systems, and with other cases of observation of “anomalous” temperature dependences. Different manifestations of the local crystal defects in spin-lattice relaxation are discussed.     

Thermal relaxation in liquid 3He/4He mixtures near the tricritical point

Very long relaxation times τ were observed in our earlier specific heat measurements on liquid ³He/⁴He mixtures in two-phase-states near the tricritical temperature T_O. It appear that 1/τ ∝ (T_O ? T).     

Effect of dislocation velocity on the nuclear spin relaxation

Using the Jeener pulse sequence, dislocation motion at various velocities and temperatures in alkali halide single crystals was studied by measuring the resultant variation in the zero-field relaxation time T₁₀, which is known to be influenced by slow atomic movements.It was found that T₁₀ is strongly dependent on the plastic deformation rate g?3 — although not on the plastic strain ε. The theory of Rowland and Fradin for atomic diffusion is used as a basis for an explanation of the results of this new type of experiment.     

NMR study of the motion of oxygens in some oxysalts

The temperature dependence of the proton spin-lattice relaxation times T₁ and T_1? were measured in some partially deuterated ammonium compounds; ammonium perchlorate and ammonium dichromate. The extremely large minimum values of T_1? (2 ～ 3 sec) were found to be independent of the concentration of deuterons. These minima of T_1? were attributed to the random modulation of the dipolar interaction between the protons and ¹⁷O (0.037%) of low abundance. The activation energy E_a of the reorientation of ClO₄ and CrO₃ were determined to be 6.2 and 10.7 kcal mol^-1, respectively.     

Frequency-dependent spin-lattice relaxation study of transport processes in superionic conductors

The sensitivity of the¹⁹F spin-lattice relaxation dispersion, T₁,(ω), to motional disorder in crystalline superionic conductors of the type La_1?xSr_xF_3?x (x = 0; 0.03) is shown. T₁ times are measured in the frequency range from 90 kHz to 370 MHz using standard techniques in combination with field-cycling. The relaxation dispersion shows qualitative differences from the standard Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound behavior. At low frequencies a relaxation model using a distribution of correlation times for diffusing ions is found to be consistent with the experimental results. At frequencies higher than 50 MHz another process of the Debye type which is not induced by ionic hopping dominates the relaxation.     

NMR spectral densities and two dimensional diffusion in TiS2(NH3)1.0 and TaS2(NH3)x

NMR measurements of proton spin-lattice relaxation times T₁ and T_1? in the layered intercalation compounds TiS₂(NH₃)_1.0 and TaS₂(NH₃)_x (x = 0.8, 0.9, 1.0) are reported as functions of frequency and temperature (100 K – 300 K). These observations probe the spectral density of magnetic fluctuations due to motions of the intercalated molecules at frequencies accessible to the T₁ (4–90 MHz) and T_1? (1–100 kHz) measurements. Since the average molecular hopping time (τ) can be changed by varying temperature, different regions of the spectral density can be examined. For T > 200 K, both T^?1₁ and T^?1_1? vary logarithmically with frequency, reflecting the two dimensional character of the molecular diffusion. The temperature dependence of T₁ suggests that a more accurate picture of the short time dynamics is required. No dependence of relaxation rate on vacancy concentration is found.     

Temperature and concentration dependences of the spin-lattice relaxation rate in four borate glasses doped with Fe2O3

Spin-lattice relaxation time (T ₁) of Fe³⁺ ions has been measured in four borate glasses doped with 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 3 wt.% Fe₂O₃ by the modulation method over the temperature range 5–250 K. In the three less concentrated samples, it was observed thatT ₁ ^?1. αT at intermediate temperatures. This is explained in terms of a relaxation mechanism involving TLS (Two Level Systems). At higher temperatures, the temperature dependence ofT ₁ ^?1 is slowed down by cross-relaxation. In the most concentrated sample, the exchange interaction plays a dominant role leading to a very different relaxation-time behaviour, described well by the Bloembergen and Wang three-reservoir model.     

Nuclear spin relaxation in itinerant electron antiferromagnetic Cr1−xVx system

Nuclear spin relaxation rate T^?1₁ for ⁵¹V in an incommensurate antiferromagnetic Cr_1?xV_x system has been measured in a temperature range between 1.3 and 4.2 K and in a range of magnetic field from 0 to 13.3 kOe by using a field-cycling nuclear magnetic resonance technique. In the (T₁T)^?1 vs x curve a pronounced maximum was observed near the critical concentration (x_c～0.040). Furthermore for alloys with x = 0.038 and 0.040 a deviation from the Korringa relation, T₁T = constant, was observed. The experimental results of (T₁T)^?1 are interpreted in terms of the spin-fluctuation and d-orbital contributions.     

H and K spin-lattice relaxation, ionic motion and Raman processes in the proton conducting KHSeO4 single crystal

The spin-lattice relaxation rates of ¹H and ³⁹K nuclei in KHSeO₄ crystals were studied in the temperature range 160-400 K. The spin-lattice relaxation recovery of ¹H nucleus in this crystal can be represented with a single exponential function, and the relaxation T₁⁻¹ curve of ¹H can be represented with the Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound (BPP) function. The relaxation process of ³⁹K with dominant quadrupole relaxation can be described by a linear combination of two exponential functions. T₁⁻¹ for the ³⁹K nucleus was found to have a very strong temperature dependence, T₁⁻¹=βT⁷. Rapid variations in relaxation rates are associated with critical fluctuations in the electronic spin system. The T⁷ temperature dependence of the Raman relaxation rate is shown here to be due to phonon-magnon coupling.     

NMR spin lattice relaxation in dilute CuFe alloys with impurity interactions

Previous measurements by Wilkening and Hesse have shown, that the excess relaxation rate ΔT^-1₁ of the matrix nuclei in $\text{CuF}$e dilute alloys can be explained in terms of the LD-model with rapid spin diffusion. Measurements reported in this paper confirm the existence of an electric quadrupole diffusion barrier. It could be shown that the influence of the quadrupole barrier is coupled to large clusters within the alloy. The electron spin lattice relaxation time τ₁ behaves temperature independent in the range 30 K ? T ? 300 K. This can be understood if an effective correlation time τ is introduced, which results from a distrubution of temperature dependent times τ^cl(T) belonging to clusters of different size.     

Nuclear spin-lattice and nuclear spin-spin relaxation time measurements in EuB6 at low temperatures using the spin-echo technique

Experimental results on the nuclear spin-lattice and nuclear spin-spin relaxation times in the ferromagnetic EuB₆ at temperatures below 4·2 K are presented using the external magnetic field,H _ext, in the range of 0 ⩽H _ext ⩽ 10 kG. Nuclear spin-spin relaxation time computed on the basis of the Suhl-Nakamura process turns out to be 3·2μs, which compares well with the experimental value 11·1μs obtained with the 10 kG magnetic field at 1·7 K. It is found that in the ferromagnetic EuB₆,T ₁ is approximately 5 × 10³ times larger thanT ₂ at 1·7 K with the 10 kG magnetic field. Thus the effect ofT ₁ onT ₂ can be neglected. From the experimental value ofT ₂, the value of the homogeneous line broadening is found to be 14 kHz. The corresponding value obtained from the cw method is 175 kHz. This evidently shows the presence of the inhomogeneous line broadening in the cw NMR.     

La NMR and As NQR study of the As-based filled skutterudite LaOs4As12

We report experimental results of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at the La site and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) at the As site in the normal state of the superconducting compound LaOs₄As₁₂. Measurements have been performed on powder sample obtained from high quality single crystals. The temperature dependences of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates, 1/T₁, of ⁷⁵As and ¹³⁹La nuclei were measured. No scaling between them was found indicating a local character of relaxation processes. The relaxation of ⁷⁵As nuclei can consistently be understood in terms of antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, as deduced from the T-dependence of (1/T₁T)=C/(T−θ)^1/2.     

Electronic states of silicon in Ni-silicides by nuclear magnetic resonance

Spin-lattice relaxation time (T₁) of ²⁹Si nuclei in several Ni-silicides (Ni_1?xSi_x:0.25?x?0.67) were studied at low temperature (1.4?T?4.2 K) by spin-echo technique. The relation of T₁T = const. and also very short T₁ were observed indicating that the silicides studied were metallic with enough densities of state of 3s-electrons at the Fermi energy (E_F). Another feature of the results was that T₁ decreased with the increment of silicon concentration. This effect was discussed in connection with the soft X-ray spectroscopy (SXS) data on Ni-silicides and Ni—Al compounds.     

Spin gap, phase separation and d-wave pairing as revealed by electron spin-lattice relaxation in 123 and 124 YBaCuO systems doped with Gd3+

With an original modulation technique, the Gd³⁺ electron spin-lattice relaxation has been investigated in normal and superconducting states of YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x (123) and YBa₂Cu₄O₈ (124) compounds doped with 1% Gd. In the 123 sample withx = 0.9T _c = 90 K), theT ₁ behavior within 50 <T< 200 K reveals the [1 ? tanh²(Δ/2kT)]/T dependence typical of a spin gap opening with Δ ≈ 240 K. Below 50 K, the exponential slowing down ofT ₁ is limited by the Korringa-like behaviorT ₁ T = const); the same Korringa-like law is found in the 123 sample withx = 0.59 (T _c = 56 K) within the total 4.2–200 K temperature range. This is interpreted in terms of microscopic separation of the normal and superconducting phases allowing for the electron spin cross-relaxation between them. In the 124 sample (T _c = 82 K), the Gd³⁺ relaxation rate below 60 K is found to obey a power lawT _n with an exponentn ≈ 3. Such a behavior (previously reported for nuclear spin relaxation) is indicative of the d-wave superconducting pairing. Additional paramagnetic centers characterized by relatively slow spin-lattice relaxation are found in both 123 and 124 systems. A well-pronounced change in theT ₁ temperature dependence atTT* ≈ 180–200 K is observed for these slowly relaxing centers as well as for the conventional, fast-relaxing Gd³⁺ ions, suggesting microscopic phase separation and a change in the relaxation mechanism due to electronic crossover related with the opening of the spin gap. This hypothesis is supported by some “180 K anomalies” previously reported by other authors.     

Spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame and extreme slowing-down at the antiferroelectric transition in copper formate tetrahydrate

The effect on the temperature behavior of the spin-lattice relaxation rates in laboratory and rotating frames in presence of extreme slowing-down of the critical fluctuations in an Ising-type system is discussed. Proton spin-lattice relaxation measurements of T₁ and T_1? in water-deuterated copper formate tetrahydrate are presented. The data shown that the anomalous behavior of the proton T_1? in the neighbourhood of the antiferroelectric phase transition recently observed by Zumer and Pir? in the ordinary crystal cannot be ascribed to the critical slowing-down of the water molecules. A possible interpretation on the basis of a mechanism of creation and annihilation of paramagnetic excitons is discussed.     

The ratio of the quadrupole moments of the isotopes95Mo and97Mo

The spin-lattice relaxation timesT ₁ of the NMR signals of⁹⁵Mo and⁹⁷Mo in aqueous K₂MoO₄ solutions were determined by the inversion recovery technique. To separate the relaxation rates due to electric quadrupole interaction and due to magnetic dipole interaction, pure H₂O and mixtures of H₂O and D₂O were used as solvent. No dependence of the ratio of the relaxation ratesT ₁(⁹⁵Mo)/T ₁(⁹⁷Mo) on the composition of the solvent was to be detected, i.e. the relaxation due to magnetic dipole interaction may be neglected. From the ratio of the relaxation rates the absolute value of the ratio of the quadrupole moments of the molybdenum isotopes was evaluated: ¦Q(⁹⁷Mo)/Q(⁹⁵Mo)¦ = 11.4 ±0.3.     

Pulsed NMR study of hydronium β-alumina

Pulsed ¹H NMR measurements are reported for hydronium β-alumina powder in the temperature range 77 K < T < 440 K at 16 MHz. Motional narrowing due to translation (E_A = 21 kJ mol^-1 occurs at T > 260 K. Spin-lattice relaxation is non-exponential in both the laboratory and rotating frames. The observed M₂ suggests that reorientation of H₃O⁺ may also occur, but there are no indications of reorientational minima in T₁ or T_1?.     

Phase diagram of YBa2Cu3O7−y at T<T c according to transverse nuclear relaxation data for Cu(2)

Two peaks are observed at T=35 and 47 K in the transverse relaxation rate for Cu(2) nuclei in YBa₂Cu₃O_7?y . A comparison of the relaxation rates for isotopes ⁶³Cu(2) and ⁶⁵Cu(2) at T=47 K indicates the magnetic nature of relaxation. The enhancement of local magnetic field fluctuations perpendicular to CuO₂ planes at T=47 K is associated with critical fluctuations of orbital currents. The peak at T=35 K is attributed to the emergence of an inhomogeneous superconducting phase. The obtained experimental results and the available data from the literature made it possible to propose a qualitatively new phase diagram of the superconducting state.     

Dynamics of Ising spin glasses with infinite-range interactions near the de Almeida-Thouless line

The dynamics of a soft-spin version of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model are calculated near the de Almeida-Thouless (AT) instability line. Lines of constant average relaxation timest ₀ approach for nt ₀?10 the AT line in the field (H)-temperature (T) plane and exhibit for 1nt ₀<10 a cross-over fromH ²=4/3(1?T)³ to a square root law. The temperature of the susceptibility cusp turns out to be independent of frequency.