Spontaneous Magnetic Ordering in the Fullerene Charge-Transfer Salt (TDAE)C 60

Abstract

The zero-field muon spin relaxation technique has been used in the direct observation of spontaneous magnetic order below a Curie temperature (T_c) of ∼16.1 kelvin in the fullerene charge-transfer salt (tetrakisdimethylaminoethylene)C₆₀ [(TDAE)C₆₀]. Coherent ordering of the electronic magnetic moments leads to a local field of 68(1) gauss at the muon site at 3.2 kelvin (parentheses indicate the error in the last digit). Substantial spatially inhomogeneous effects are manifested in the distribution of the local fields, whose width amounts to 48(2) gauss at the same temperature. The temperature evolution of the internal magnetic field below the freezing temperature mirrors that of the saturation magnetization, closely following the behavior expected for collective spin wave (magnon) excitations. The transition to a ferromagnetic state with a T_c higher than that of any other organic material is now authenticated.