Semimetallic behavior in Fe2VAl: NMR evidence Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We report the results of a (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) nuclear magnetic resonance study of (Formula presented) at temperatures between 4 and 550 K. This material has been a subject of current interest due to indications of possible heavy fermion behavior. The low-temperature NMR relaxation rate follows a Korringa law, indicating a small density of carriers at the Fermi level. At elevated temperatures, the shifts and relaxation rates go over to a thermally activated response, a semiconductorlike behavior, consistent with separate low-lying bands removed from the Fermi-level. These results are consistent with recent electronic structure calculations, and can explain both the reported activated resistivity as well as the Fermi cutoff exhibited in photoemission studies. While we observe nonstoichiometric samples of (Formula presented) to be magnetic, the (Formula presented) composition is nonmagnetic, with narrow NMR linewidths. 1998 The American Physical Society.

published proceedings

  • PHYSICAL REVIEW B

author list (cited authors)

  • Lue, C. S., & Ross, J. H.

citation count

  • 88

complete list of authors

  • Lue, CS||Ross, JH

publication date

  • October 1998