The magnetic behavior of the intermetallic compound NdMn2Ge2 studied by magnetization and hyperfine interactions measurements

Abstract

The magnetic behavior of the intermetallic compound NdMn2Ge2 was investigated by bulk magnetization measurements and measurements of hyperfine interactions using perturbed γ–γ angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. Magnetization measurements indicate the presence of four magnetic transitions associated with the Mn and Nd magnetic sublattices. At high temperatures, magnetic measurements show a change in the slope of the magnetization due to an antiferromagnetic transition around TN ∼ 425 K and a well defined ferromagnetic transition at TC ∼ 320 K. Moreover, at ∼210 K a peak is observed in the magnetization curve, which is assigned to the reorientation of the Mn spin, and at ∼25 K an increase in the magnetic moment is also observed, which is ascribed to the ordering of Nd ions. PAC measurements using 140La(140Ce) and 111In(111Cd) probe nuclei allowed the determination of the temperature dependence of the magnetic hyperfine field (Bhf) at Nd and Mn sites, respectively. PAC results with 111Cd probe nuclei at Mn sites show that the dependence of Bhf with temperature follows the expected behavior for the host magnetization associated with the magnetic ordering of Mn ions. From these results, the antiferromagnetic transition followed by a ferromagnetic ordering is clearly observed. PAC results with 140Ce probe nuclei at Nd sites, however, showed a strong deviation from the Brillouin function, which is attributed to the Ce 4f-electron contribution to Bhf.