An exploration of some magnetic fundamentals in EuSe using μSR

Abstract

EuSe is a simple magnetic system that appears to show many complicated features. Under applied pressure it undergoes a transition from an antiferromagnet (AF) to a ferromagnet (FM). This transition provides a means of testing certain basic fundamentals of magnetic theory and an opportunity to explore the complexities of EuSe. Using the muon-spin rotation and relaxation technique (μSR), EuSe was measured at pressures ranging from ambient to 11 kbar. In ambient-pressure EuSe, muon data reveal two local fields, but show only a single field in the FM state formed under pressure. The μSR measurements appear to show a continuous transition at Tc, contrary to previous Mössbauer results that were interpreted as being evidence of a first-order transition. Values determined for the critical exponent, β, in AF and FM EuSe, differ and therefore appear to be a clear counterexample to the Universality Hypothesis. The values of β also are indicative of EuSe’s being a 2D magnet for pressures up to 11 kbar. The nature and values of the local fields seen by the muons is discussed and analyzed.