Anisotropic hyperfine interactions in FeP studied by 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy and 31P NMR

Abstract: We report results of 57Fe Mossbauer and 31P NMR studies of a phosphide FeP powder sample performed in a wide temperature range including the point (TN ~ 120 K) of magnetic phase transitions. The 57Fe Mossbauer spectra at low temperatures T < TN consist of very diffuse Zeeman pattern with line broadenings and sizeable spectral asymmetry. It was shown that the change of the observed spectral shape is consistent with the transition into the space modulated helicoidal magnetic structure. Analysis of the experimental spectra was carried out assuming the anisotropy of the magnetic hyperfine field Hhf at the 57Fe nuclei when the Fe3+ magnetic moment rotates with respect to the principal axis of the electric field gradient (EFG) tensor. The obtained large temperature independent anharmonicity parameter m ~ 0.96 of the helicoidal spin structure results from easy-axis anisotropy in the plane of the iron spin rotation. It was assumed that the very low maximal value of Hhf(11K) ~ 36 kOe and its high anisotropy delta_Hanis(11K) ~ 30 kOe can be attributed to the stabilization of iron cations in the low-spin state (SFe = 1/2). The 31P NMR measurements demonstrate an extremely broad linewidth reflecting the spatial distribution of the transferred internal magnetic fields of the Fe3+ ions onto P sites in the magnetically ordered state.