Structural and dynamical study of moment localization in beta-Mn(1-x)In(x)

TL;DR

This study investigates how indium doping affects the structural and magnetic properties of beta-Mn, revealing a transition to a spin-glass state with residual fluctuations, contrasting with other dopants.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of indium doping on beta-Mn's magnetic ground state using neutron scattering and muSR techniques.

Findings

Indium doping induces a spin-glass like state in beta-Mn.

Residual low-frequency spin fluctuations persist in In-doped beta-Mn.

In doping contrasts with Ru doping, which stabilizes long-range magnetic order.

Abstract

We have used neutron scattering and muon spin relaxation (muSR) to investigate the structural and magnetic properties of the beta-phase of elemental manganese doped with dilute amounts of indium. beta-Mn is an example of a topologically frustrated antiferromagnetically correlated metal - but which remains paramagnetic at all temperatures. The addition of In to beta-Mn results in a vast volume expansion of the lattice, and would therefore be expected to have a major effect on the stability and localization of the Mn moment - as observed in, for example, Ru and Al doped beta-Mn alloys. We find that In doping in beta-Mn results in a short-range ordered spin-glass like ground state, similar to that of Al-doped beta-Mn but with residual low frequency spin fluctuations. This is in contrast to Ru doping which results in the stabilization of a long-range ordered Mn moment