SPIN-GLASS BEHAVIOR OF MECHANICALLY MILLED CRYSTALLINE GDAL2

We report on the discovery of spin-glass behavior of a crystalline compound with a rather high content of the magnetic component, namely mechanically milled GdAl2 (mm-GdAl2). Both ac and dc magnetic susceptibility measurements show a single transition from the paramagnetic to the spin-glass state below 65 K (T(f)), which is further confirmed by the observation of thermal irreversibility of the magnetization below T(f). Discovery of spin-glass behavior in mm-GdAl2 is of significance since it not only represents a new class of spin-glass material but also demonstrates the use of mechanical milling as a novel technique to synthesize various new spin glasses.