Observation of spatial magnetic correlations in the paramagnetic phase of weak ferromagnets; short-range magnetic order in MnSi at 20 TN

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Abstract
Diffuse neutron scattering measurements on MnSi at temperatures up to 20 TN have been carried out using polarisation analysis to obtain an unambiguous determination of the paramagnetic response as a function of the wave-vector Q. At high Q the response tends to that expected for disordered atomic moments of magnitude 0.4 beta per Mn atom (which corresponds to the moment observed in the ordered phase). However for a small wave-vector the magnitude of the response extrapolated to zero wave-vector is consistent with the localised moment obtained from susceptibility measurements, namely about 1.4 beta per Mn atom. On the basis of the observed variation with Q it is concluded that this difference arises because of spatial correlations between the atomic moments over a range of, for example, about 7 AA at 20 TN.

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