Ferrimagnetism in EuFe4Sb12 due to the interplay of f-electron moments and a nearly ferromagnetic host.
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.
Krishnamurthy
V V
VV
Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
Lang
J C
JC
Haskel
D
D
Keavney
D J
DJ
Srajer
G
G
Robertson
J L
JL
Sales
B C
BC
Mandrus
D G
DG
Singh
D J
DJ
Bilc
D I
DI