An NMR study of the new strong magnetism in the quasicrystalline Al-Pd-Mn-B system

The authors have measured ²⁷Al, ⁵⁵Mn and ¹¹B NMR spectra of the quasicrystalline Al-Pd-Mn-B system with the new strong magnetism. The zero-field spectra observed around 220 MHz at 4.2 K provide evidence that ferromagnetic Mn atoms exist in these icosahedral quasicrystals. Further, Mn atoms with no internal magnetic field are also detected in these icosahedral quasicrystals from spectra obtained in applied magnetic fields. From the microscopic point of view, by means of NMR, it is concluded that the icosahedral phase of this system consists of a magnetically heterogeneous atom distribution, although the X-ray diffraction pattern and transmission electron microscopy exhibit the formation of a single icosahedral phase in the Al-Pd-Mn-B alloy.