Metal-insulator transition in the Hollandite vanadate K2V 8O16 investigated by 51V NMR measurements

Abstract

51V NMR measurements have been made on powdered samples to investigate the metal-insulator (MI) transition and the local magnetic properties of the Hollandite vanadate K2V8O16 which undergoes the MI transition at TMI∼170 K. An asymmetric 51V NMR spectrum in the metallic phase has the T-dependent negative Knight shift K. The two NMR spectra appears around TMI, showing the coexistence of the metallic and insulating phases in consistent with the two-step first-order transition. The temperature dependence of K and the 51V nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate indicates the presence of the ferromagnetic spin fluctuations in the metallic phase. A 51V NMR spectrum observed below TMI has the temperature-independent K∼0.35%, showing the presence of the nonmagnetic ground state. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.