Mini volume collapse as evidence for a three-body magnetic polaron in Sm1-xEuxS

Samarium sulfide (SmS) is a nonmagnetic narrow-gap (0.06 eV) semiconductor that undergoes a transition to a metallic intermediate valence state at 6.5 kbar. Europium sulfide (EuS) is a ferromagnetic semiconductor with a Curie temperature of 16 K and a gap of 1.6 eV. Here we present a study of the lattice constant, magnetic susceptibility, and resistivity of the substitution series Sm_1-x Eu_x S for 0 < x < 1. We observe a smooth interpolation of magnetic and transport behavior across the series, consistent with a virtual crystal scenario and Vegard's law. Surprisingly, however, the lattice constant deviates below Vegard's law in a manner that suggests parametric control of the Sm-Sm distance by the Eu moment in the manner of a magnetic polaron.