Magnetic and Crystallographic Study on the Electronic State of Interstitial Cations in MnSb

Abstract

Ferromagnetic compounds Mn_1+δSb with NiAs crystal structure have a wide existing range (0≤δ≤0.22). Compounds of Mn_1.05M_δSb (M=Cr, Fe and Co) are prepared in order to study the electronic state of excess Mn in Mn_1+δSb. It is found that the excess cations occupy the same interstitial site as Mn, and have 0 μ_B for the case of M=Cr and Mn and about 1 μ_B for M=Fe and Co, and that they reduce the total magnetization and the Curie temperature at about the same rate as the case of M=Mn. A qualitative discussion is given on the analogy of transition atom impurities in metals.