Spectroscopic study of the magnetic ground state of Nb$_{1-y}$Fe$_{2+y}$

Abstract

We have investigated single crystals and polycrystals from the series Nb$_{1-y}$Fe$_{2+y}$, $-0.004 \leq y \leq 0.018$ by electron spin resonance, muon spin relaxation and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Our data establish that at lowest temperatures all samples exhibit bulk magnetic order. Slight Fe-excess induces low-moment ferromagnetism, consistent with bulk magnetometry ($\simeq 0.06 ~μ_B/{\rm Fe}$), Nb--rich and stoichiometric NbFe$_2$ display spin density wave order with small magnetic moment amplitudes of the order $\sim 0.001 - 0.01 ~μ_B/{\rm Fe}$. This provides microscopic evidence for a modulated magnetic state on the border of ferromagnetism in NbFe$_2$.

7 pages, 9 figures