The ${}^{59}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{o}-\mathrm{N}\mathrm{M}\mathrm{R}$ on single crystals of ${\mathrm{LaCoO}}_3$ has been studied in order to investigate the spin-state transition through the nuclear-spin relaxation in this compound. Below $T\sim 35\mathrm{K},$ the spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation rates show a thermal-activation-type temperature dependence with an energy gap of ∼180 K. This value is close to the energy difference between the low spin state $\mathrm{}(S=0\mathrm{})\mathrm{}$ and the intermediate spin state $\mathrm{}(S=1\mathrm{})\mathrm{}$ predicted in the two-stage spin-state transition model with the intermediate spin state. The apparent spin-spin relaxation rates depend on the resonance peaks split due to the nuclear-electric-quadrupole interaction, which is explained by an indirect nuclear spin-spin interaction through the interacting paramagnetic electron spins. This observation is consistent with the ferromagnetic short-range correlation among the electron spins on ${\mathrm{Co}}^{3+}$ ions confirmed by neutron-scattering experiments.

• Received 18 November 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.62.410