Muon spin relaxation in ErRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6449542

Noakes, D R; Ansaldo, E J; Brewer, J H; Harshman, D R; Huang, C Y; Torikachili, M S; Lambert, S E; Maple, M B

We have found that the erbium magnetic moment is so large that in ErRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ it can relax muon polarization in times shorter than can be resolved by a typical ..mu..SR apparatus. The complete relaxation signal is resolved at temperatures above 50K only because of rapid fluctuation of the erbium moment, which partially decouples it from the muon's moment. Not much signal is resolved at temperatures less than or equal to 10K, but no dramatic effect is seen in crossing the superconducting transition temperature. The higher temperature local field fluctuation rates observed appear consistent with the exchange and spin-lattice fluctuation rates to be expected of erbium in this material. Perhaps more information on moment dynamics below 10K can be obtained by alloying erbium with a nonmagnetic rare earth such as yttrium within the RERh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ structure (as has been attempted for holmium), to reduce the rms local field at the muon.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); British Columbia Univ., Vancouver (Canada); California Univ., San Diego, La Jolla (USA). Dept. of Physics
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6449542
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-84-3159; CONF-841184-3; ON: DE85002202
• Resource Relation: Conference: Magnetism and magnetic materials conference and exhibit, San Diego, CA, USA, 27 Nov 1984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ERBIUM BORIDES
MUONS
RELAXATION
RHODIUM BORIDES
SPIN
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BORIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ERBIUM COMPOUNDS
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
RHODIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
360204* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Physical Properties