https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2006-00207-9
Magnetic properties and 119Sn hyperfine interaction parameters of LiMn6Sn6
Laboratoire de Chimie du Solide Minéral, Université Henri Poincaré-Nancy I, Associé au CNRS (UMR 7555), B.P. 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
Corresponding author: a thomas.mazet@lcsm.uhp-nancy.fr
Received:
15
February
2006
Revised:
27
March
2006
Published online:
1
June
2006
We have synthesized LiMn6Sn6, the first RMn6Sn6
compound involving an alkali metal as R element. It crystallizes in
the hexagonal (P6/mmm) HfFe6Ge6-type structure. From magnetic
measurements and powder neutron diffraction experiments it is found
that LiMn6Sn6 magnetically orders at TC = 380 K
in a simple easy-plane ferromagnetic structure (mMn = 2.58 μB
at 2 K). The 119Sn Mössbauer spectrum recorded at 5 K indicates
that the tin nuclei experience huge hyperfine fields (as large as
35 T). Electronic structure calculations are used to gain information
about the microscopic origin of both the hyperfine field and electric
field gradient at the Sn nuclei. The former arises due to spin-dependent
hybridization between the 5s states of Sn and the 3d states
of Mn. The latter comes from the 5p charge density close to the
nucleus, whose anisotropy is mainly produced through directional interactions
with the 3d states of the first Mn neighbors. Comparison between
experimental quadrupole splittings and theoretical electric field
gradients allows us to propose a value of for the quadrupole moment of the first excited state (I= 3/2) of the 119Sn nucleus.
PACS: 76.80.+y – Mössbauer effect; other gamma-ray spectroscopy / 71.20.Lp – Intermetallic compounds / 75.25.+z – Spin arrangements in magnetically ordered materials
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2006