Study of the magnetic properties of GdZn compound using PAC spectroscopy with 140Ce and 111Cd as probe nuclei

Abstract

In this work, we have investigated magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic GdZn compound by perturbed γ–γ angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy using 140La→140Ce and 111In→111Cd as probe nuclei. Measurements were carried out in the temperature range of 10–300 K for the 111Cd probe and below Curie temperature (TC) for the 140Ce probe. GdZn compound exhibits the cubic structure of CsCl prototype and orders ferromagnetically at TC = 268 K. PAC measurements taken with 111In-111Cd probes showed an electric quadrupole interaction above TC and a combined electric quadrupole plus magnetic interaction below TC that has been assigned to 111In probes substituing Zn atoms. In the case of 140Ce probes nuclei, PAC measurements below TC showed only a magnetic interaction which was assigned to 140La probe substituting Gd atom positions. The results for the measured magnetic hyperfine field are discussed in terms of the spin polarization of the magnetic ions.