Study of hyperfine interactions in the tetragonal GdRh2Si2 using PAC spectroscopy

Abstract

Hyperfine interactions were studied in the intermetallic compound GdRh2Si2 by perturbed angular correlation (PAC) technique using 181Hf(181Ta) probe nuclei. The measurements were performed in the temperature range 15–285 K. The PAC spectra above the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of the GdRh2Si2 compound (T N ∼ 106 K), were analyzed using a model that included only electric quadrupole interactions. The observed major fraction was assigned to the 181Hf(181Ta) probe substituting the Gd atoms. The PAC spectra below Neel temperature were analyzed using combined electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole interactions. The Bhf value at Gd, measured at 15 K was found to be 1.4(1) T which, is smaller, when compared with the values obtained in this compound using other nuclear probes, 155Gd (Bhf ∼ 30 T) and 140Ce (Bhf ∼ 26 T). The present result using 181Hf(181Ta) probe is quite interesting since it shows that the contribution to Bhf at Gd due the host is smaller than other components which contribute to the hyperfine field. The temperature dependence of Bhf shows an anomalous behavior.