NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE STUDY OF ND2FE17NX

The Nd-145 nuclear magnetic resonance spin echo spectra of Nd2Fe17 and Nd2Fe17N3 at 4.2 K are presented. A single quadrupole septet observed in the spectra of both compounds is assigned to the Nd site with no n itrogen neighbours in Nd2Fe17 and with three nitrogen neighbours in Nd 2Fe17N3. A drastic reduction in the quadrupole splitting with nitridin g is attributed to a huge increase in the ''lattice'' electric field g radient at the Nd site caused by nitrogen neighbours. The correspondin g change of the crystal electric field parameter A(2)(0) caused by the three N neighbours amounts to -282K alpha(0)(-2), very close to that in the isostructural Sm2Fe17Nx series.