Magnetic studies with μSR at high pressures

A newly developed high pressure-low temperature μSR spectrometer was employed for two types of magnetic studies. Firstly we measured the pressure dependence of the local magnetic field B_μ in Fe, Co and Ni at 77 K up to 7 kbar. From the pressure derivative dlnB_μ/dP the volume derivative dlnB _Hf /dlnV was deduced. In connection with previous room temperature data we calculated the temperature dependence of B_hf at constant volume. It deviates markedly from the temperature dependence of the host magnetization. Secondly, we looked at the pressure dependence of the muonic Knight shift in Sb at 30 K for polycrystalline and single crystal samples. A strong pressure dependence was observed which depends on the orientation of the magnetic field relative to the c-axis. The pressure coefficients of the isotropic and the axial term of the Knight shift were deduced.     

Pressure dependence of the electric field gradient and knight shift tensors of single crystal gallium

Nuclear pure quadrupole resonance has been observed in single crystal gallium as a function of hydrostatic pressure up to 7 kbar at temperatures of 77, 198 and 273 K. The resonance frequency v_Q increases linearly with pressure and the slope ($\text{δv}{}_{\mathrm{O}}\text{δP}$)_T is 13.7, 15.5 and 16.3 Hz/bar at 77, 198 and 273 K respectively. The asymmetry parameter decreases nonlinearly with pressure. Using compressibility and thermal expansion data, the volume dependence of the major principle component of the electric field gradient was deduced. The principal components K_x, K_y and K_z of the Knight shift tensor have been measured as a function of pressure to 6 kbar at 77 K. The isotropic and anisotropic components of the Knight shift were deduced as a function of pressure, and K_iso is found to vary with volume as V^{4.95 ± 0.80}.     

μ+ shift study inCdMgx (x=1%, 2%, 2.5%)shift study inCdMgx (x=1%, 2%, 2.5%)

In continuation of our earlier studies of the anomalous temperature dependence of the μ⁺ Knight shift K_μ in Cd,CdHg (1.2 at %) andCdMg (3.38 at %) — interpreted as due to Van Hove-type singularities in the local density of electron states /1/ — we have studied the temperature dependence of the μ⁺ Knight shift in polycrystallineCdMg (1.04 at %, 2.05 at %) and in a single crystal ofCdMg (2.5 at %). In contrast to pure Cd no anisotropies in K_μ could be detected. The temperature dependence of K_μ in aCdMg (2.05 at %) sample and in the monocrystallineCdMg (2.5 at %) sample essentially reproduces the one previously observed in polycrystallineCdMg (3.38 at %), showing a steplike discontinuity and a logarithmic singularity. A complete different behaviour is observed inCdMg (1.04 at %), where no logarithmic singularity seems to show up and where a steplike discontinuity of opposite sign at around 90 K is clearly seen. If these singularities are still to be interpreted in terms of Van Hove singularities, the question arises why there is such a nonlinear dependence on the Mg concentration.     

Discrepancies in NMRON Knight Shifts of impurity nuclei in ferromagnets

Precision NMRON field shift studies have been carried out up to 8T on a⁵⁴MnNi single crystal along a hard [100] direction and on a¹²⁵SbFe single crystal along a hard [110] direction. For both systems, high field (B _app>-1T) and low field (0.3T<B _app<0.8T) data sets are obtained. The analysis reveals a significant discrepancy between the apparent Knight Shift dependent on whether the low field or high field data set is utilised. For both systems, consideration of the high field data sets yield a zero Knight Shift K(⁵⁴MnNi)=+0.0(0.2)% and K(¹²⁵SbFe)=+0.2(1.4)%, whereas the low field data sets yield K(⁵⁴MnNi)=+7.5(3.9)% and K(¹²⁵SbFe)=−5.4(3.3)% respectively. The field range dependence of K suggests that only Knight shifts measured in large fields (>-1T) are meaningful for establishing systematics. This casts some doubt on the greater bulk of the literature’s NMRON Knight shift studies, where predominantly low fields have been used to determine K.     

Muon spin relaxation in CeCu2Si2 and muon knight shift in various heavy-fermion systems

Positive muon spin precession has been observed in various heavy-fermion systems in the transverse external magnetic field. In the superconductor CeCu_2.1Si₂, the relaxation rate of muon spins increases rapidly with decreasing temperature below T_C. This is interpreted as the results of the inhomogeneous fields due to the imperfect penetration of the external field into the type-II superconducting state. The magnetic-field penetration depth λ is derived from the observed muon spin relaxation rate. λ is about 1200 ∢ at T∼0.5T_C, and the temperature dependence of λ is consistent with the relation expected for a BCS superconductor. We have also measured the muon Knight shift K_μ in the normal (or paramagnetic) state of various heavy-fermion systems. K_μ is large and negative (about −1000∼−3000 ppm at T=10 K) for CeCu₂Si₂, UPt₃ and CeAl₃, while more complicated signals are measured in CePb₃ and CeB₆. The negative muon Knight shift in the non-magnetic heavy-fermion systems is discussed in terms of the Kondo-coupling between the conduction- and f-electrons.     

Charge density waves in layer structures: A NMR study on a 2HNbSe2 single crystal

We have studied by pulsed NMR a single crystal of 2HNbSe₂ at ambient pressure and under hydrostatic pressure of 21 kbar in the temperature range 4.2–273 K. Our results are consistent with the onset of incommensurate charge density waves (ICDW) at T_CDW = 33 K atP = 1 bar and 26 K at P = 21 kbar. Below T_CDW, the lineshapes of the (m → m ? 1) transitions agree with a local distribution of Knight shift and electric field gradients respecting the symmetry of a triple ICDW, while above T_CDW, pre-transitional broadening is observed. The product T₁T = 500 ± 100 msk was found constant in the temperature range 4.2–77 K and pressure independant.     

The emission spectrum of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-AlGaAs/GaAsP/<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-AlGaAs diodes under uniaxial compression

New experimental data are presented on the effects of uniaxial compression of up to 4 kbar along the [110] and [1$ \bar 1 $ \bar 1 0] crystallographic directions on the spectra of electroluminescence and the current-voltage characteristics of diodes based on n-Al _x Ga_{1 − x} As/GaAs _y P_{1 − y} /p-Al _x Ga_{1 − x} As (y = 0.84) heterostructures that were designed for injection lasers. With increasing pressure, the spectra show a shift to shorter wavelengths, reaching 25 meV at 3 kbar; the intensity increases 2–3 times as well. Numerical calculations were carried out on the band structure of the investigated heterostructures under compression along the [110] axis, which indicate the increase in the effective band gap in the quantum well (QW) GaAs _y P_{1 − y} , with a pressure coefficient of about 8.5 meV/kbar and reduction of the barrier height at the boundaries of the QW. The calculations predict the possibility that light and heavy holes crossover at pressures above 4.5–5 kbar. The increase in the effective band gap completely describes the experimental data on the shift of the electroluminescence spectra. The mixing of light and heavy holes when approaching the band crosspoint is the probable cause of an increase in the intensity of radiation under uniaxial compression.     

Anomalous anisotropies and field dependencies of the muon Knight shift and the relaxation rate in monocrystalline Bi

The angular dependence of the muon Knight shift,K _μ, and the muon relaxation rate in Bi at 11 K were measured in external magnetic fields up to 1 T. BothK _μ and the second moment,M ₂, are field dependent and involveP ₄ ⁰(cos θ) andP ₄ ³(cos θ) terms in the angular dependence. The Knight shift behaviour is discussed in terms of the dipole-dipole interaction and the de Haas-van Alphen effect, a consistent interpretation was not achieved in either case. The field dependence ofM ₂ is in complete contrast to the second moment calculations and points to a field dependent redistribution of the charge distribution around the interstitial site.     

Effect of hydrostatic compression on the indium-impurity-induced superconducting transition in Pb<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Te

This paper reports on a study of the low-temperature conductivity and parameters of the superconducting state, namely, the critical temperature T _c and the second critical magnetic field H_c2, in the (Pb_0.3Sn_0.7)_0.95In_0.05Te solid solution under hydrostatic pressure P ≤ 9 kbar at T = 4.2 K. The choice of this material has been motivated by the fact that, according to earlier observations, it undergoes a superconducting transition at T _c ∼ 2.3 K, i.e., close to the maximum value T _c ∼ 2.9 K found for the (Pb _z Sn_{1 − z} )_0.95In_0.05Te solid solutions with a lead content z ∼ 0.15–0.25. It has been demonstrated that an increase in the pressure to P ≤ 9 kbar leads to a bell-shaped dependence T _c (P). The observed dependences are assigned to the effect of hydrostatic compression on the band structure of the solid solution and indicate a shift in the position of the Fermi level E _F with increasing pressure within the impurity band of the In quasi-local states. In this case, E _F passes through a maximum in the density of impurity states at P = 3–5 kbar.     

Γ andX bandgap hydrostatic deformation potentials for epitaxial In0.52Al0.48As on InP(001)

The pressure dependence of the direct and indirect bandgap of epitaxial In_0.52Al_0.48As on InP(001) substrate has been measured using photoluminescence up to 92 kbar hydrostatic pressure. The bandgap changes from Γ toX at an applied pressure of ∼ 43 kbar. Hydrostatic deformation potentials for both the Γ andX bandgaps are deduced, after correcting for the elastic constant (bulk modulus) mismatch between the epilayer and the substrate. For the epilayer we obtain and+(2.81±0.15)eV for the Γ andX bandgaps respectively. From the pressure dependence of the normalized Γ-bandgap photoluminescence intensity a Γ-X lifetime ratio, (τ_Γ/τ _X ), of 4.1×10⁻³ is deduced.     

Pressure effect on the magnetic susceptibility of the (TMTSF)2X family

The temperature dependence of the spin-susceptibility χ_S of (TMTSF) ₂X for X=PF₆, C10₄ and ReO₄ was measured to hydrostatic pressures of 10 kbar using a Faraday magnetometer. For these three materials the fractional pressure dependence d≡∂ℓnχ_S/∂P is negative and decreases in magnitude with increasing temperature from approximately -4.5%/kbar below 100 K to -3%/kbar at ambient temperature. This behavior contrasts with that of TTF-TCNQ, where |d| appears to increase with temperature, and with β-(BEDT-TTF)₂I₃, where d is temperature independent.     

Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the Curie temperature of the Heusler alloys Ni2MnZ(Z = Al,Ga, In,Sn and Sb)

The pressure derivative of the Curie temperature dT_c/dp of the Heusler alloys Ni₂MnZ(Z = Al, Ga, In, Sn and Sb) has been obtained from the results of temperature dependence of initial permeability under pressure up to about 6 kbar. For all alloys the Curie temperatures increase linearly with increasing pressure at the rate of dT_c/d_p: +0.7 K/kbar for Ni₂MnAl, +1.0 K/kbar for Ni₂MnGa, +0.9 K/kbar for Ni₂MnIn, +1.4 K/kbar for Ni₂MnSn and +4.1 K/kbar for Ni₂MnSb. On the basis of these results, the interatomic dependence of the exchange interaction for Heusler alloys is discussed. The magnetic susceptibilities of those alloys are also reported.     

Knight shift in PbTe and Pb1−xSnx Te

The importance of various contributing mechanisms to the Knight shift (K) in PbTe and Pb_1−xSn_xTe is analyzed using a perturbation theory and a general experession for K which includes the spin (K_s), orbital (K_o) and spin-orbit (K_so) contributions to the Knight shift. It is found that K_s is the dominant contribution. However, with increase in the carrier concentration, the strength of K_so increases, and becomes of the same order as K_s at high density of carriers. K_o is found to be small throughout the range of the carrier density considered. Further, it is seen that the electron-electron exchange enhancement parameter increases with increase in the carrier density. We have also considered the effect of temperature. The results and the trends obtained in our calculation are in overall agreement with the experiment for the range of the carrier density considered.     

Muon Knight shift and μ+ site in the monopnictide CeAs

The transverse field μSR-signal from μ⁺ implanted in a CeAs single crystal shows a splitting into two components, displaying a positive and a negative Knight shift, respectively which both scale reasonably well with the magnetic bulk susceptibility above 10 K. The orientation dependence of the frequency shifts, measured at 15 K, is fully accounted for by the demagnetization field, implying an isotropic Knight shift, consistent with the μ⁺ residing at the only interstitial site of high (cubic) symmetry, i.e., at the position (1/4,1/4,1/4). The occurrence of a split signal remains unexplained. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pressure effect on the anomalous electrical conductivity of magnetite

The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of magnetite was measured under hydrostatic pressure up to 18.4 kbar. It is found that the temperature of the conductivity maximum in the high temperature phase is more rapidly reduced by pressure (dT_m/dP = -4.1 K/kbar) than the Verwey temperature (dT_v/dP = -0.27 K/kbar). The discontinuous change of the conductivity at T_v appears to increase with applied pressure as a result of a lowering of T_m.     

Diamagnetism and muon knight shift in semimetallic and semiconducting BiSb single crystals

A series of single crystalline Bi_1−x Sb _x alloys (x=0,0.03, 0.14, 0.19, 0.37) covering both the semimetallic (0≤x≤0.07 orx≥0.22) and the semiconducting region (0.07≤x≤0.22) was examined using the stroboscopic μ⁺ SR method. The μ⁺ Knight shift, negative for all Sb concentrations, shows pronounced temperature dependences and large anisotropies. A scaling with the-negative-total magnetic susceptibility [1] is found in the semiconducting alloys. In detail, the isotropic part of the μ⁺ Knight shift is proportional to the isotropic part of the susceptibility, and the anisotropic Knight shift scales with the anisotropic susceptibility. Possible mechanisms leading to this relation are investigated.     

Pressure dependence of the electric field gradient in the AgIn2 intermetallic compound

The pressure dependence of the electric field gradient (EFG) in the AgIn₂ intermetallic compound was measured from zero up to 35 kbar using the time differential perturbed angular correlation technique in¹¹¹Cd. The unit cell volume and thec/a ratio variations with pressure were measured up to 80 kbar. The temperature dependence of the cell parameters was also measured, in a range varying from 300 K up to 458 K. The relationship of these results showed that the contribution of the lattice thermal expansion to the EFG variations is about 1/3, a small but not negligible part. The estimated EFG volumetric dependence is at variance with the systematic results found in pure metals. Work supported in part by FINEP and CNPq (Brasil).     

用高压显微光谱系统研究(Zn0.85Cd0.15)S:Cu,Al磷光体在流体静压力下施主-受主对的发光

用金刚石对顶砧高压显微光谱系统在室温和1bar—66kbar的流体静压力范围内研究了(Zn_0.85Cd_0.15)S:Cu,Al磷光体的发光峰位置和相对发光强度随压力而变化的规律。随着压力的增加,发射峰值波长迅速移向短波方向,而发射峰值对应的光子能量随压力增加的速率为4.7meV/kbar(38cm^-1/kbar)。这个值比该材料的吸收边随压力增加的速率要小。随着压力的增加,该磷光体的发光峰值相对强度急骤下降,当压力从常压升到66kbar时,发光峰值相对强度下降到原值的6％。这些结果可以用Al³⁺-Cu⁺的施主-受主对模型来解释。本文还估计施主(Al³⁺)和受主(Cu⁺)的激活能之和随压力增加的速率为3.7meV/kbar(30cm^-1/kbar)。 关键词：     

Muon Knight shift and zero-field relaxation in (U,Th)Be13

We report μ⁺ zero-field relaxation and Knight shift studies of the heavy-fermion superconductors U_1−xTh_xBe₁₃, x=0 and 0.033. The Knight shift in UBe₁₃ shows a strong decrease as the temperature is reduced in the superconducting state, unlike U_0.967Th_0.033Be₁₃ in which the shift remains at about the normal state value. If the superconducting state in UBe₁₃ has odd-parity, the decrease of K_μ below T_c suggests that the order parameter is pinned to the lattice. Either spin-orbit scattering or the existence of two distinct superconducting states with different spin susceptibilities in the (U,Th)Be₁₃ system would explain the differences observed in the Th-doped and pure UBe₁₃ materials. The latter hypothesis would exclude conventional BCS superconductivity. No evidence for magnetic order is seen in the zero-field relaxation rate for either material down to 0.3 K.     

Muon knight shift in platinum and in β-PdHx (x=0.70, 0.75, 0.86)

The ⁺ Knight shift in Platinum has been measured between 20 K and 785 K. It shows a strong temperature dependence and scales with the magnetic bulk susceptibility. A temperature independent contribution of +53±15 ppm and a d-electron induced hyperfine field per unpaired d-electron per atom of B _hfd ^a =–5.03 kG(±8.5%) are obtained. The ⁺ Knight shift in PdH_0.70, PdH_0.75 and PdH_0.86 shows no dependence on temperature between 20 K and RT and increases from K=–(8±3) ppm for x=0.70 to K =+(6.5±3) ppm K=+(6.5±3) ppm for x=0.86, in good agreement with proton Knight shift measurements.