title: Ferrimagnetism in EuFe4Sb12 due to the interplay of f-electron moments and a nearly ferromagnetic host.
abstract: We combine x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy at Fe L2,3 edges, at Eu M4,5 edges, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) investigation of Eu valence, and local spin density calculations, to show that the filled skutterudite Eu0.95Fe4Sb12 is a ferrimagnet in which the Fe 3d moment and the Eu2+ 4f moment are magnetically ordered with dominant antiferromagnetic coupling. From Eu L3 edge XAS, we find that about 13% of the Eu have a formal valence of 3+. We ascribe the origin of ferrimagnetism at a relatively high transition temperature TC of 85 K in Eu0.95Fe4Sb12 to f-electron interaction with the nearly ferromagnetic [Fe4Sb12]2.2- host lattice.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haskel
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Keavney
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Srajer
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Mandrus
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Bilc