Magnetic excitations in USn sub 3

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.41.9294· OSTI ID:6986408

Loewenhaupt, M ^[1]; Loong, C ^[2]

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1. Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Kernforschungsanlage Juelich, Postfach 1913, D-5170 Juelich, Federal Republic of Germany (DE)
2. Intense Pulsed Neutron Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (USA)

We report on inelastic-neutron-scattering studies of the paramagnetic response in polycrystalline samples of the heavy-electron compound USn{sub 3}. The magnetic scattering function, {ital S}({ital Q},{ital E}), was determined over a wide range of momentum and energy transfer, 0.5{lt}{ital Q}{lt}6 A {sup {minus}1} and 0{lt}{ital E}{lt}200 meV, at temperatures ranging from 1.5 to 300 K. We find that {ital S}({ital Q},{ital E}) at {ital E}{gt}2 meV consists of only a broad quasielastic component characteristic relaxational dynamics of the U spins. The temperature dependence of the line width of this quasielastic peak exhibits a {ital T}{sup 1/2}-type power law with a large residual width at the lowest temperature. At {ital E}{lt}2 meV, on the other hand, there is evidence of an additional narrow component with a full width at half maximum of the order of 1 meV. Within experimental precision, we find no evidence of other inelastic peaks due to crystal-field excitations. The single-site magnetic susceptibility, {chi}({ital Q},{ital T}), obtained by a Kramers-Kronig analysis of the quasielastic spectra, is smaller than the bulk static susceptibility at low temperatures. At a given temperature, {chi}({ital Q}) exhibits a {ital Q} dependence indicative of an instability towards antiferromagnetic ordering. The experimental results are compared with the spin dynamics observed in other heavy-{ital f}-electron compounds and the implication of {ital s}-{ital f} electronic hybridization is discussed.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6986408
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA) Vol. 41:13; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ALLOYS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ENERGY LEVELS
F STATES
FLUCTUATIONS
HYBRIDIZATION
LOW TEMPERATURE
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
MAGNETISM
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
PARAMAGNETISM
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
S STATES
SCATTERING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TIN ALLOYS
ULTRALOW TEMPERATURE
URANIUM ALLOYS
VARIATIONS
VERY LOW TEMPERATURE