Polarized neutron diffraction on a diamagnetic bismuth single crystal

Abstract

Abstract A large single crystal of bismuth has been studied between 2 K and 150 K by means of polarized neutron diffraction in fields up 6.2 T applied along the trigonal axis. The recorder flipping ratios are very small in agreement with the diamagnetic response of bismuth. Maximum entropy reconstruction shows that the leading contribution to the magnetic field induced magnetization is indeed associated with electron states centered at bismuth. However, small contribution stems from states placed outside bismuth atoms.