Effects of an external magnetic field on the hyperfine parameters in RE2O3 (RE = Gd, Er) nanoparticles measured by perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy

Abstract

In order to understand the interaction mechanisms in RE2O3 (RE=Gd, Er) nanoparticles (NPs), Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) spectroscopy, a local technique, plus external magnetic field, was used to elucidate local interactions and possible mapping of the different contribution in these compounds. NPs were synthesized by thermal decomposition and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. PAC measurements were performed using 111In(111Cd) as probe nuclei, with and without the application of an external magnetic field (EMF) of 0.5 T in different temperatures (50 K, 100 K, 200 K, 300 K). Results show that the hyperfine magnetic field is almost zero when the probe is located at the symmetric site, and ∼4 T and ∼5 T for Gd2O3 and Er2O3, respectively, when the probe occupies the asymmetric field.