Magnetic property of layered compound NbFeTe2

NbFeTe2 is a layered cluster compound in which intra Fe endash Fe bond distance is 2.488 Angstrom. The magnetic susceptibilities between 100 and 300 K are fit to Curie endash Weiss law with C=1.29 emuK/mol, and θ=+69.2 K. The effective magnetic moment of 3.67 μB per Fe at 300 K corresponding to three unpaired electrons may suggest the formation of Fe endash Fe single bond. Moessbauer spectrum at 77 K shows a paramagnetic doublet with δ=0.36 mm/s and ΔE=0.62 mm/s. The χac measurement reveals the occurrence of a spin glass transition at Tf=44.0 K. The irreversibility of magnetic properties below Tf has been studied with the measurements of the dc susceptibility, remanent magnetization, and hysteresis loop for both zero field cooled and field cooled samples. The competition between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions probably cause the spin glass behavior. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics