Temperature dependence of the electric quadrupole interaction at scandium impurities in zirconium and hafnium

Abstract

The PAC probe44Sc was employed to study the magnitude and temperature dependence of the electric quadrupole interaction at the site of the transition metal Sc in the hexagonal host lattices Zr and Hf. In Zr ∼ 100% of the probe atoms were situated on regular lattice sites and a quadrupole interaction frequency of υQ=7.8(1)MHz was measured at room temperature. For Hf the fraction of the probe atoms on regular lattice sites was smaller and a damping of the interaction pattern (υQ=9.3(5)MHz at 293 K) could not be excluded. The temperature dependence of the electric field gradient in both host lattices was found to be weak.