Unraveling the physical properties and superparamagnetism in anti-site disorder controlled Fe2TiSn

Abstract

With an aim to control the anti-site disorder between Fe and Ti atoms in the full Heusler alloy, FeTiSn, we substitute a small percentage of Ti at Fe site to form the FeTiSn () series. Using the incident x-rays tuned to the Fe K-edge absorption energy, we record the high resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction profiles and unambiguously show the reduction in anti-site disorder. In particular, the Fe–Ti anti-site disorder decreases up to an excess Ti content of 0.07; further increase of Ti content leads to disorder between Ti–Sn sites. Detailed characterization vis-á-vis the excess Ti content has been carried out in terms of its thermal and electrical transport, and magnetic properties. Signatures of strong spin fluctuation are seen in all the physical properties reported here. The much disputed high value of the Sommerfeld constant has been shown to be a resultant of such strong spin fluctuations, thus ruling out the long standing controversy of heavy fermionic nature of FeTiSn. Magnetization and the Seebeck coefficient show clear dependence on the disorder. Both dc and ac magnetic measurements reveal the low temperature superparamagnetic nature of this system, comprising of large magnetic clusters 3 nm in size.