Using magnetic circular dichroism for the study of the magnetization and the magnetic moments of atomsin Nd3Fe27.5Ti1.5

Abstract

An element-specific study of theNd3Fe27.5Ti1.5 compound using the hard x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) technique is presented. The NdL2 andL3 edge XMCD, as well as the Fe K edge XMCD, were measured in a magnetically orientedsample, parallel and perpendicular to its alignment direction. The XMCD spectra wererecorded at three different temperatures, above, below and in between the characteristicpeaks that the specific compound presents in AC susceptibility measurements. By probingthe Nd L edges and the Fe K edge XMCD, we found that the dipolar R(5d)–Fe(3d)exchange interaction behaves differently with temperature change than the Fe–Femagnetic interaction. Those differences appear to be in the vicinity of the ACsusceptibility characteristic peaks. An XMCD signal was recorded at the Ti K edge,revealing a small orbital polarization due to the hybridization with Fe atomic states.This demonstrates the existence of a small finite magnetic moment in Ti atoms.