Element-specific observation of the ferromagnetic ordering process in UCoAl via soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

Takeda, Yukiharu   ; Saito, Yuji  ; Okane, Tetsuo  ; Yamagami, Hiroshi; Matsuda, Tatsuma*; Yamamoto, Etsuji  ; Haga, Yoshinori   ; Onuki, Yoshichika*

We have performed soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments on the itinerant-electron metamagnet UCoAl at the U 4-5 () and Co 2-3 () absorption edges in order to investigate the magnetic properties of the U 5 and Co 3 electrons separately. From the line shape of the XMCD spectrum, it is deduced that the orbital magnetic moment of the Co 3 electrons is unusually large. Through the systematic temperature ()- and magnetic field ()-dependent XMCD measurements, we have obtained two types of the magnetization curve as a function of and (M-H curve and M-T curve, respectively). The metamagnetic transition from a paramagnetic state to a field-induced ferromagnetic state was observed clearly under 15 K at . The value of the and its -dependence agree well between the U and Co sites, and the bulk magnetization. Whereas, we have discovered the remarkable differences in the M-H and M-T curves between the U and Co sites. The present findings show clearly that the role of the Co 3 electrons should be considered more carefully in order to understand the origin of the magnetic ordering in UCoAl.