E. E. Alp

57Fe Mössbauer studies on Si-substituted Er2Fe17

Abstract The compound Er 2 Fe 17 crystallizes in the hexagonal Th 2 Ni 17 structure, and is ordered magnetically with a Curie temperature T c of 305 K. We have investigated the effect of substituting small amounts of Si for Fe on the magnetic behavior of this compound by low temperature 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetization measurements. Fe can be replaced by Si to form Er 2 Fe 17−x Si x alloys with x up to 3.0 without changing the crystal structure, though a small amount of a second phase appears in X = 3.0 sample. The substitution of Si causes a decrease in the average Fe magnetic moment. The lattice parameters decrease upon Si substitution, and T c increase from 305 K for x = 0 to 498 K for x = 3.0. 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy measurements indicates no preferential subtitution of Si among the four crystallographically different Fe sites.

Nuclear resonant scattering beamline at the Advanced Photon Source

The principal and engineering aspects of a dedicated synchrotron radiation beamline under construction at the Advanced Photon Source for nuclear resonant scattering purposes are explained. The expected performance in terms of isotopes to be studied, flux, and timing properties is discussed.

Sound velocities of compressed Fe3C from simultaneous synchrotron X-ray diffraction and nuclear resonant scattering measurements

The applications of nuclear resonant scattering in laser-heated diamond anvil cells have provided an important probe for the magnetic and vibrational properties of (57)Fe-bearing materials under high pressure and high temperature. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction is one of the most powerful tools for studying phase stability and equation of state over a wide range of pressure and temperature conditions. Recently an experimental capability has been developed for simultaneous nuclear resonant scattering and X-ray diffraction measurements using synchrotron radiation. Here the application of this method to determine the sound velocities of compressed Fe(3)C is shown. The X-ray diffraction measurements allow detection of microscale impurities, phase transitions and chemical reactions upon compression or heating. They also provide information on sample pressure, grain size distribution and unit cell volume. By combining the Debye velocity extracted from the nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering measurements and the structure, density and elasticity data from the X-ray diffraction measurements simultaneously obtained, more accurate sound velocity data can be derived. Our results on few-crystal and powder samples indicate strong anisotropy in the sound velocities of Fe(3)C under ambient conditions.

Polarizer/analyzer filter for nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation

A silicon (840) channel‐cut crystal with a large asymmetry is used to linearly polarize synchrotron radiation generated by an undulator source at the 14.413 keV nuclear resonance of 57Fe. The resulting σ‐polarized radiation is then scattered from an 57Fe foil placed in a magnetic field that effects σ→π polarization conversion within the resonant bandwidth. A second crystal of the same type is placed in a crossed position to suppress the nonresonant radiation while transmitting the π‐polarized resonant radiation. A polarization suppression factor of 6×10−7 has been obtained. The suppression of the nonresonant radiation allowed monitoring the decay of the nuclear levels after 1 ns of their excitation.

Electronic spin and valence states of Fe in CaIrO3‐type silicate post‐perovskite in the Earth's lowermost mantle

The electronic spin and valence states of Fe in post-perovskite ((Mg{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 0.25})SiO{sub 3}) have been investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Moessbauer and X-ray emission spectroscopy at 142 GPa and 300 K. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that our sample was dominated by CaIrO{sub 3}-type post-perovskite. Combined Moessbauer and X-ray emission results show that Fe in post-perovskite is predominantly Fe{sup 2+} (70%) in the intermediate-spin state with extremely high quadrupole splitting of 3.77(25) mm/s. The remaining 30% Fe can be assigned to two sites. Compared with recent studies, our results indicate that the intermediate-spin Fe{sup 2+} is stabilized in CaIrO{sub 3}-type post-perovskite over a wide range of Fe content, whereas the low-spin Fe{sup 3+} is more dominant in the 2 x 1 kinked post-perovskite structure. The characterization of these structural and compositional effects on the spin and valence states of Fe in post-perovskite can help in understanding the geochemical and geophysical behavior of the core-mantle region.

Momentum-resolved Resonant and Nonresonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering at the Advanced Photon Source

The study of electronic excitations by inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) has a rich history. Very early IXS work, for example, provided seminal demonstrations of the validity of relativistic kinematics and the quantum hypothesis [1] and of Fermi-Dirac statistics [2]. While there have been many important results in the interim [3], it has been the development of the third generation light sources together with continuing innovations in the manufacture and implementation [4–6] of dispersive X-ray optics that has led to the rapid growth of IXS studies of electronic excitations.

Crystal monochromator with a resolution beyond 108

Monochromatization with crystal diffraction has been achieved to a resolution (lambda/delta lambda) beyond 10(8). The monchromator is specifically designed for 23.880 keV synchrotron radiation (lambda = 51.9 pm) for applications involving nuclear resonant scattering from 119Sn. The design uses asymmetrically cut silicon (12 12 12) crystal reflections from two single-crystalline monoliths oriented in a dispersive geometry. A transmitted energy bandwidth of 140 +/- 20 mu eV was measured, corresponding to a resolution of 1.7 x 10(8). Methods of improving efficiency, wavelength stability and resolution are discussed.

Data analysis for inelastic nuclear resonant absorption experiments.

Abstract Inelastic nuclear resonant absorption method has been applied to study lattice dynamics. The data evaluation procedure for such experiments using synchrotron radiation is presented. Various moments of the measured spectra provide model-independent information on vibrational excitations, such as the recoilless fraction, the average kinetic energy per nucleus, and the average force constant. In addition, the partial phonon density of states is extracted assuming a harmonic lattice model. A measurement performed on α -iron is shown as an example.

Nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation by multilayer structures

Multilayer structures form a particular class of samples employed in nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation. Their specific properties lead to unusual energy and time characteristics of nuclear resonant scattering, which differ much from those of single crystals. The analysis of these distinctions is presented. Several approaches to achieve pure nuclear reflections with multilayers are discussed. Finally, we review the studies of multilayer structures with nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation.

Impact of lattice dynamics on the phase stability of metamagnetic FeRh: Bulk and thin films

We present phonon dispersions, element-resolved vibrational density of states (VDOS) and corresponding thermodynamic properties obtained by a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (NRIXS) across the metamagnetic transition of B2 FeRh in the bulk material and thin epitaxial films. We see distinct differences in the VDOS of the antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferromagnetic (FM) phases, which provide a microscopic proof of strong spin-phonon coupling in FeRh. The FM VDOS exhibits a particular sensitivity to the slight tetragonal distortions present in epitaxial films, which is not encountered in the AF phase. This results in a notable change in lattice entropy, which is important for the comparison between thin film and bulk results. Our calculations confirm the recently reported lattice instability in the AF phase. The imaginary frequencies at the