Mössbauer study of the Mn1-xFexNiGe system (0.05 ≤ x < 1.0)

Abstract

Magnetic and Mössbauer measurements were performed for Mn1-xFexNiGe solid solutions. The Mössbauer data obtained suggest that the iron atoms at small concentrations x < 0.20 prefer to fill trigonal bipyramidal positions substituting the nickel atoms and thus do not participate in magnetic interactions. This is consistent with a decrease of magnetization in the x < 0.20 samples, evident from the magnetic measurements data. As the concentration increases above x > 0.20 in Mn1-xFexNiGe, the iron atoms replace both the nickel atoms in trigonal bipyramidal and the manganese atoms in octahedral positions.