Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Physical Review Letters
Publication Date
Page Number
126403
Volume
98
Issue
12
Abstract
We combine x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy at Fe L-2,L-3 edges, at Eu M-4,M-5 edges, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) investigation of Eu valence, and local spin density calculations, to show that the filled skutterudite Eu0.95Fe4Sb12 is a ferrimagnet in which the Fe 3d moment and the Eu2+ 4f moment are magnetically ordered with dominant antiferromagnetic coupling. From Eu L-3 edge XAS, we find that about 13% of the Eu have a formal valence of 3+. We ascribe the origin of ferrimagnetism at a relatively high transition temperature T-C of 85 K in Eu0.95Fe4Sb12 to f-electron interaction with the nearly ferromagnetic [Fe4Sb12](2.2-) host lattice.
