Muon spin rotation study of perturbation of the crystalline-electric-field induced by interstitial muon in PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ and PrRu$_{4}$Sb$_{12}$

ORAL

Abstract

Muon spin rotation measurements of the temperature dependence of the positive muon Knight shift in single crystals of PrOs$\rm_{4}$Sb$\rm_{12}$ and PrRu$\rm_{4}$Sb$\rm_{12}$ reveal a linear scaling of the Knight shift with the bulk magnetic susceptibility at high temperatures. A small deviation from the linear relation appears in PrOs$\rm_{4}$Sb$\rm_{12}$ below $6.3$ K. However, a large magnitude of deviation is observed in PrRu$\rm_{4}$Sb$\rm_{12}$ below $32$ K. The deviation can be explained by the positive muon induced modification of the susceptibility of neighboring Pr$^{3+}$ ions due to a change of the crystalline-electric-field (CEF) splitting. The data indicate that this modification is much smaller in PrOs$\rm_{4}$Sb$\rm_{12}$ than in PrRu$\rm_{4}$Sb$\rm_{12}$. A model calculation based on CEF theory is in progress.

*Supported by NSF Grants 0422674(Riverside), 0203524(Los Angeles), 0335173(San Diego), and by DOE DE-FG02-04ER46105 (San Diego)

Authors

  • Lei Shu

    • U. of Calif, Riverside
  • D.E. MacLaughlin

    • U. of Calif, Riverside
  • R.H. Heffner

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • O.O. Bernal

    • Calif. State U., Los Angeles
  • W.P. Beyermann

    • U. of Calif, Riverside
  • N.A. Frederick

    • U. of Calif, San Diego
  • W.M. Yuhasz

    • U. of Calif, San Diego
  • T.A. Sayles

    • U. of Calif, San Diego
  • T. Yanagisawa

    • U. of Calif, San Diego
  • M.B. Maple

    • U. of Calif, San Diego