Excitation Spectrum of the Néel Ensemble of Antiferromagnetic Nanoparticles as Revealed in Mössbauer Spectroscopy

Abstract

The excitation spectrum of the Néel ensemble of antiferromagnetic nanoparticles with uncompensated magnetic moment is deduced in the two-sublattice approximation following the exact solution of equations of motion for magnetizations of sublattices. This excitation spectrum represents four excitation branches corresponding to the normal modes of self-consistent regular precession of magnetizations of sublattices and the continuous spectrum of nutations of magnetizations accompanying these normal modes. Nontrivial shape of the excitation spectrum as a function of the value of uncompensated magnetic moment corresponds completely to the quantum-mechanical calculations earlier performed. This approach allows one to describe also Mössbauer absorption spectra of slowly relaxing antiferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic nanoparticles and, in particular, to give a phenomenological interpretation of macroscopic quantum effects observed earlier in experimental absorption spectra and described within the quantum-mechanical representation.