Boron Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Rare Earth Intermetallic Compounds

Abstract

11B nuclear magnetic resonance has been observed in a series of rare earth hexaboride intermetallic compounds (LaB6, CeB6, PrB6, NdB6, SmB6, GdB6, DyB6, HoB6 as well as ScB6 and YtB6) above their magnetic transition temperatures. Shifts in the field for resonance of the 11B nuclei were found which depended in sign and magnitude on the magnetic properties of the rare earth atoms. The shifts are qualitatively similar to, but smaller than, the 27Al shifts previously observed in rare earth aluminium compounds. The results in both series of intermetallic compounds can be explained by the exchange interaction between localized rare earth ion core moments and conduction electrons, which results in a magnetic polarization of the conduction electrons and thus in a shift in the field for resonance.