Spin glass behavior in FeAl2

Abstract

Magnetic and transport measurements indicate FeAl2 to be an ordered intermetallic spin glass, with canonical behavior including a susceptibility cusp at T-f = 35 K and frequency-dependent susceptibility below T-f. The field-cooled and zero-held-cooled magnetization diverge below T-f, with hysteresis characteristic of a spin glass. A resistivity minimum just above T-f is explained in terms of coherent magnetic scattering. This behavior is common to spin glasses with short-range interactions among f-electron moments and indicates a similar spin configuration in these materials.