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The magnetic ground state of the B -site ordered double perovskite S r 2 DyRu O 6 has been investigated using muon spin rotation and relaxation (µSR), neutron powder diffraction (NPD), and inelastic neutron scattering (INS), in addition to heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility (AC and DC) measurements. A clear signature of a long-range ordered magnetic ground state has been observed in the heat capacity data, which exhibits two sharp anomalies at 39.5 and 36 K found as well in the magnetic data. Further supporting evidence consistent with long-range magnetic ordering comes from a sharp drop in the muon initial asymmetry and a peak in the relaxation rate at 40 K, along with a weak anomaly near 36 K. Based on temperature dependent NPD, the low temperature magnetic structure contains two interpenetrating lattices of D y 3 + and Ru 5 + , forming an antiferromagnetic ground state below 39.5 K with magnetic propagation vector k = ( 0 , 0 , 0 ) . The magnetic moments of D y 3 + and Ru 5 + at 3.5 K are pointing along the crystallographic b axis with values of μ Dy = 4.92 ( 10 ) μ B and μ Ru = 1.94 ( 7 ) μ B , respectively. The temperature dependence of the Ru 5 + moments follows a mean field type behavior, while that of the D y 3 + moments exhibits a deviation indicating that the primary magnetic ordering is induced by the order of the 4 d electrons of Ru 5 + rather than that of the proper 4 f D y 3 + electrons. The origin of the second anomaly observed in the heat capacity data at 36 K must be connected to a very small spin reorientation as the NPD studies do not reveal any clear change in the observed magnetic Bragg peaks’ positions or intensities between these two transitions. INS measurements reveal the presence of crystal field excitations (CEF) in the paramagnetic state with overall CEF splitting of 73.8 meV, in agreement with the point change model calculations, and spin wave excitations below 9 meV at 7 K. Above T N , the spin wave excitations transform into a broad diffuse scattering indicating the presence of short-range dynamic magnetic correlations.

Self- and inter-diffusion coefficients in liquid Ge and dilute Ge-based Ge-Si, Ge-Au, Ge-In, Ge-Ce and Ge-Gd alloys-containing 2 at% additions, respectively, are measured using a comprehensive approach of measuring techniques: quasi-elastic neutron scattering, in situ long-capillary experiments combined with x-ray radiography, and a long-capillary experiment under microgravity conditions. Resulting inter- and Ge self-diffusion coefficients are equal within error bars for each investigated alloy. The interdiffusion coefficients are smaller for the alloys containing Ce and Gd, However, no dependence of the atomic mass of the minor additions, that varies by about a factor of seven between Si and Au, on the diffusion coefficients could be observed. This demonstrates that in a loosely-packed metallic liquid with fast diffusive dynamics the diffusion mechanism is highly collective in nature.

We report on a joint theoretical and experimental study of the vibrational dynamics of the type-I clathrates A(8)Sn(44)square (2) (A=K, Rb, Cs, and square stands for a vacancy) by high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering experiments combined with low-temperature specific heat measurements (2-300K). Ab initio lattice dynamics calculations were performed on hypothetical vacancy-free A(8)Sn(46) clathrates in order to determine the phonon dispersions and vibrational density of states Z ( omega ). The temperature dependence of the generalized vibrational density of states (GVDOS) was traced from 420K down to 50K, paying particular attention to the low-energy region of the GVDOS spectra. In the Cs and Rb compounds, the inelastic signal at low energies is dominated by several peaks mainly associated with the dynamics of the alkali metal atoms A in the polyhedral cages of the clathrate structure. In contrast, the low-energy spectrum of the K compound features a more pronounced contribution of the weighed modes of the framework Sn atoms. Upon cooling, the A-weighted modes soften regardless of the nature of the alkali element. The shift observed is similar for the three compounds and of small amplitude, suggestive of a dominant quasi-harmonic behavior above 50K. The distinct dynamics of the K atoms in comparison to Cs and Rb is further demonstrated by the analyses of the low-temperature specific heat data, indicating that the low-energy Sn-weighted modes cannot be described by a Debye model with Einstein-like contributions., CNRS-MPG Program

Signatures of absence of a long-range ordered magnetic ground state down to 0.36 K are observed in magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, thermal/electrical transport and inelastic neutron scattering data of the quasi-skutterudite compound Pr

The magnetic properties of a pressure induced noncentrosymmetric heavy-fermion superconductor CeIrGe$_3$ have been investigated by muon spin relaxation ($\mu$SR), powder neutron diffraction (ND) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) techniques at ambient pressure. For completeness we have also measured the ac magnetic susceptibility $\chi_{\rm ac}(T)$, dc magnetic susceptibility $\chi(T)$, dc isothermal magnetization $M(H)$ and heat capacity $C_{\rm p}(T,H)$ down to 2 K. CeIrGe$_{3}$ is known to exhibit pressure induced superconductivity ($T_{\rm c}\approx 1.5$ K) at a pressure of 20 GPa and antiferromagnetic ordering at 8.7 K, 4.7 K and 0.7 K at ambient pressure. Our $\chi_{\rm ac}(T)$ and $\chi(T)$ data show an additional anomaly near 6.2 K which is also captured in $C_{\rm p}(T)$ data. From $\chi_{\rm ac}(T)$, $\chi(T)$ and $C_{\rm p}(T)$ measurements we infer three antiferromagnetic transitions above 2 K at $T_{\rm N1}= 8.5$ K, $T_{\rm N2}= 6.0$ K and $T_{\rm N3}= 4.6$ K. Our $\mu$SR study also confirms the presence of three transitions through the observation of one frequency for $T_{\rm N2} < T\leq T_{\rm N1}$, two frequencies for $T_{\rm N3} < T\leq T_{\rm N2}$ and three frequencies for $T\leq T_{\rm N3}$ in the oscillatory asymmetry. The ND data reveal an incommensurate nature of the magnetic ordering at $T=7$ K with the propagation vector k = (0,0,0.688(3)), and a commensurate magnetic structure at $T=1.5$ K with the propagation vector locked to the value k = (0,0,2/3) and magnetic moments oriented along the $c$ axis. The commensurate structure couples a macroscopic ferromagnetic component, resulting in a strong dependence of the lock-in transition temperature on external magnetic field. The INS data show two well defined crystal electric field (CEF) excitations arising from the CEF-split Kramers doublet ground state of Ce$^{3+}$., Comment: 13 pages, 16 figures, 1 table

The opening of a spin gap in the orthorhombic compounds CeT$_2$Al$_{10}$ (T = Ru and Os) is followed by antiferromagnetic ordering at $T_N$ = 27 K and 28.5 K, respectively, with a small ordered moment (0.29$-$0.34$\mu_B$) along the $c-$axis, which is not an easy axis of the crystal field (CEF). In order to investigate how the moment direction and the spin gap energy change with 10\% La doping in Ce$_{1-x}$La$_x$T$_2$Al$_{10}$ (T = Ru and Os) and also to understand the microscopic nature of the magnetic ground state, we here report on magnetic, transport, and thermal properties, neutron diffraction (ND) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) investigations on these compounds. Our INS study reveals the persistence of spin gaps of 7 meV and 10 meV in the 10\% La-doped T = Ru and Os compounds, respectively. More interestingly our ND study shows a very small ordered moment of 0.18 $\mu_B$ along the $b-$axis (moment direction changed compared with the undoped compound), in Ce$_{0.9}$La$_{0.1}$Ru$_2$Al$_{10}$, however a moment of 0.23 $\mu_B$ still along the $c-$axis in Ce$_{0.9}$La$_{0.1}$Os$_2$Al$_{10}$. This contrasting behavior can be explained by a different degree of hybridization in CeRu$_2$Al$_{10}$ and CeOs$_2$Al$_{10}$, being stronger in the latter than in the former. Muon spin rotation ($\mu$SR) studies on Ce$_{1-x}$La$_x$Ru$_2$Al$_{10}$ ($x$ = 0, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7), reveal the presence of coherent frequency oscillations indicating a long$-$range magnetically ordered ground state for $x$ = 0 to 0.5, but an almost temperature independent Kubo$-$Toyabe response between 45 mK and 4 K for $x$ = 0.7. We will compare the results of the present investigations with those reported on the electron and hole$-$doping in CeT$_2$Al$_{10}$.

Under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY).-- et al., We have investigated the noncentrosymmetric tetragonal heavy fermion compound CeAuAl3 using muon spin rotation (μSR), neutron diffraction (ND), and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements. We have also revisited the magnetic, transport, and thermal properties. The magnetic susceptibility reveals an antiferromagnetic transition at 1.1 K with, possibly, another magnetic transition near 0.18 K. The heat capacity shows a sharp λ-type anomaly at 1.1 K in zero field, which broadens and moves to a higher temperature in an applied magnetic field. Our zero-field μSR and ND measurements confirm the existence of a long-range magnetic ground state below 1.2 K. Further, the ND study reveals an incommensurate magnetic order with a magnetic propagation vector k=(0,0,0.52(1)) and a spiral structure of Ce moments coupled ferromagnetically within the ab plane. Our INS study reveals the presence of two well-defined crystal electric field (CEF) excitations at 5.1 and 24.6 meV in the paramagnetic phase of CeAuAl3 that can be explained on the basis of the CEF theory and the Kramer's theorem for a Ce ion having a 4f1 electronic state. Furthermore, low energy quasielastic excitations show a Gaussian line shape below 30 K compared to a Lorentzian line shape above 30 K, indicating a slowdown of spin fluctuations below 30 K. We have estimated a Kondo temperature of TK=3.5K from the quasielastic linewidth, which is in good agreement with that estimated from the heat capacity. This study also indicates the absence of any CEF-phonon coupling unlike that observed in isostructural CeCuAl3 The CEF parameters, energy level scheme, and their wave functions obtained from the analysis of INS data explain satisfactorily the single crystal susceptibility in the presence of two-ion anisotropic exchange interaction in CeAuAl3., We are grateful for funding by the Centre for Materials Physics and chemistry-Science and technology facilities council (CPMC-STFC) (Grant No. CMPC-09108), EU-FEDER (Grants No. MAT2009-10040, No. MAT2012-31309, and No. DGA-E81) and Fondo Social Europeo.

We report inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements on the polycrystalline oP60-type clathrate BaGe_5, whose crystal structure is related to the type-I clathrate Ba8Ge_(43□3) and to the cP124-clathrate Ba_6Ge_(25). Our results show that BaGe_5 exhibits a similar phonon density of states (PDOS) in the energy range 0–40 meV with respect to Ba8Ge_(43□3). The low-energy region of the PDOS spectrum (0–10 meV) consists of two peaks at 4.1 and 6.2 meV likely related to Ba-weighted modes. Compared to Ba8Ge_(43□3), the low-energy region of the phonon spectrum of BaGe_5 shows a more complex structure, likely reflecting the presence of three distinct crystallographic sites for Ba. The specific heat data of BaGe_5, reexamined in light of the INS results, indicate that the Ba-weighted modes dominate the low-temperature behavior of C_p.

YbNi4P2 is one of the very few heavy-fermion systems which allow the study of ferromagnetic quantum criticality. The Curie temperature TC=0.17 K can be suppressed by substituting arsenic on the phosphorus site, without changing the ferromagnetic nature of the ordered state. The ordered moment, even of the unsubstituted compound, is only around 0.05 μB, which hinders elastic neutron scattering experiments. To gain microscopic insight into the nature of the interactions, we have studied the magnetic excitations of polycrystalline YbNi4P2 by time-of-flight neutron spectroscopy. For momentum transfers larger than about 0.6 A−1 we find a quasi-elastic response whose width at low temperatures is limited by the Kondo effect. In contrast, the low-energy magnetic response is distinctly different for Q approaching zero: At low temperatures, but still in the paramagnetic phase, susceptibility and lifetime of the spin fluctuations are strongly enhanced, indicating the proximity of ferromagnetism.