Neutron diffraction from stoichiometric and metal-deficientV2O3

Abstract

Neutron diffraction has been used to study two samples of ${\mathrm{V}}_2$ ${\mathrm{O}}_3$, one stoichiometric ($T_{M-I}\approx 150$ K) and a second metal deficient ($T_{M-I}\approx 50$ K). In the former, magnetic intensity was observed below the metal-insulator transition at the $\frac{3}{2}$ $\frac{3}{2}$ 3 reflection as well as at those reflections previously reported by Moon. This intensity is thought to be due to a small magnetic contribution from the oxygen sites. In the latter sample, antiferromagnetic ordering was observed in the metallic phase with a discontinuous change in magnetic intensity at the $M-I$ transition. The magnetic moment for the pure ${\mathrm{V}}_2$ ${\mathrm{O}}_3$ specimen agrees with the $1.2{\mu }_B$ value determined by Moon, but the saturation value in the metal-deficient specimen was determined to be only $\sim 0.9{\mu }_B$.