Nuclear Bragg scattering of synchrotron radiation with strong speedup of coherent decay, measured on antiferromagnetic 57FeBO3

Abstract

A strongly speeded-up decay of a collective nuclear excitation has been observed in pure nuclear resonance diffraction of synchrotron-radiation pulses by a perfect single crystal of antiferromagnetic FeBo357. Superimposed appeared a quantum-beat spectrum exhibiting the interference of four hyperfine transitions. The angular dependence of the time spectrum was verified with measurements above, below, and at the exact Bragg position. The off-Bragg measurements reveal sensitively the weak quadrupole interaction in FeBO357.. AE © 1987 The American Physical Society.