57Fe Mössbauer and magnetic studies of Nd3Fe24.5Cr4.5

The structural and magnetic properties of the rare earth transition metal compound Nd 3Fe 24.5Cr 4.5 have been investigated by variable temperature high resolution x-ray diffraction together with DC magnetization and 57Fe Mössbauer effect measurements. The magnetic ordering temperature has been found to be T C= 423(5) K with spin reorientation detected below room temperature around T sr= 158(5) K. Rietveld refinements indicate that Nd 3Fe 24.5Cr 4.5 crystallizes in the Nd 3(Fe,Ti) 29-type structure with the A2/m space group and a substantial magneto-volume effect is detected around T C. The Mössbauer spectra can be fitted well using five sub-spectra. The temperature dependence of the average hyperfine field has been analysed in terms of different power laws of the reduced temperature. The Debye temperature of Nd 3Fe 24.5Cr 4.5 has been determined as 𝜃 D= 400(± 30) K from a fit to the variable temperature isomer shift IS(T).