Abstract
To study the Zn and Ga 4p electronic states in relation to the magnetic phase transition in Mn3MC (M=Zn or Ga) perovskites, the temperature dependence of the X-ray absorption spectrum and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism was recorded at the Zn and Ga K-edges. As a result, it is found that the non-magnetic Zn and Ga atoms exhibit 4p orbital polarization in the ferromagnetic state. For the second-order phase transition in Mn3ZnC, the canted-ferromagnetic component is separated from the ferromagnetic one, and the temperature behavior is compared with the case of the first-order transition in Mn3GaC. The Zn and Ga 4p polarizations are strongly correlated with the Mn 4p polarized states.
