µ+ Studies of Dilute PdFe Alloys

Abstract

In order to investigate the ordering mechanism among giant moments around Fe impurities in Pd, µ+ was used to probe the conduction electron polarization in PdFe alloys above and below the critical concentration of 0.1 at. % (i.e. 0.28 at. % Fe and 0.015 at. % Fe) with reference to pure Pd. Below the ordering temperatures (9.0 K and O.4 K, respectively), the broadening of the µ+ field for 0.015 at. % Fe is substantially larger than that for 0.28 at. % Fe, when normalized to the bulk magnetization. The results can be explained in terms of an RKKY spin oscillation in the region outside the giant moment.