2001/04/27 by I. Maksimov, I Maksimov, D. Baabe +13
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Intermetallics and Advanced Alloy Properties #Metallurgical and Alloy Processes #Rare-earth and actinide compounds #cond-mat.dis-nn #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0953-8984/13/23/307
accepted for publication in J. Phys.: Condens. Matter
arxiv created 2001/04/27 · openalex publication_date 2001/05/25 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
We present a detailed structural investigation via neutron diffraction of differently heat-treated samples of Fe 2 VAl and Fe 2+ x V 1− x Al. The magnetic behaviour of these materials is also studied by means of μSR and Mössbauer experiments. Our structural investigation indicates that quenched Fe 2 VAl, exhibiting the previously reported `Kondo insulating like' behaviour, is off-stoichiometric (6%) in its Al content. Slowly cooled Fe 2 VAl is structurally better ordered and stoichiometric, and the microscopic magnetic probes establish long-range ferromagnetic order below T C = 13 K, consistent with results from bulk experiments. The magnetic state can be modelled as being generated by diluted magnetic ions in a non-magnetic matrix. Quantitatively, the required number of magnetic ions is too large to be explained by a model of Fe/V site exchange. We discuss the implications of our findings for the ground-state properties of Fe 2 VAl, in particular with respect to the role of crystallographic disorder.