Correlation of magnetic properties with the local features of the electronic and crystal structure in the Ce2Fe17 ? xMnx intermetallide: XAFS data analysis

The rearrangement of the local environment of cerium has been examined using extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy above the K-Ce absorption edge for various manganese contents and temperatures in Ce₂Fe_{17 − x} Mn _x intermetallics (x = 0, 1, 2). The valence state of cerium has been studied simultaneously by X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy above the L ₃-Ce absorption under the same conditions. A correlation has been revealed between the changes observed in the local electronic and crystal structure of Ce₂Fe_{17 − x} Mn _x compounds and the types of magnetic states in them.     

Effect of high pressure and chemical substitution on the crystal structure and magnetic state of R2Fe17 ? x Six (R = Lu or Y; x = 0 or 1.7)

The effect of high pressure on the crystal structure of the intermetallic compounds R₂Fe_{17 − x} Si_x (R = Lu or Y; x = 0 or 1.7) was studied using neutron diffraction. A correlation between changes in structural parameters and magnetic properties under the action of high pressure, as well as under chemical substitution of Si for Fe atoms, was analyzed in terms of localized moment and spin fluctuation models. The spin fluctuation model was found to describe more adequately the experimentally observed increase in the Curie temperature upon chemical substitution and the decrease in this temperature under the action of high pressure. Possible reasons for the suppression of a collinear ferromagnetic state and the occurrence of a noncollinear antiferromagnetic state in R₂Fe_17−x Si_x under pressure are discussed based on estimated differences between the total energy minima of these states. Original Russian Text ? D.P. Kozlenko, V.I. Voronin, V.P. Glazkov, B.N. Savenko, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 675–680.     

Fabrication and magnetic properties of Ce1Y2Fe5O12 thin films on GGG and SiO2/Si substrates

Microstructure and magnetic properties of crystalline Ce₁Y₂Fe₅O₁₂ thin films prepared on GGG and on SiO₂/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition were studied. The results show that highly textured Ce₁Y₂Fe₅O₁₂ film with (4 4 4) preferred orientation prepared on GGG (1 1 1) shows strong paramagnetism superimposed by a weak ferromagnetism. However, polycrystalline Ce₁Y₂Fe₅O₁₂ thin films on SiO₂/Si, which can only be obtained after post-annealing, show strong ferromagnetism with easy axis of magnetization lying in the plane of the film. With post-annealing temperature increasing, CeO₂ segregates from Ce₁Y₂Fe₅O₁₂; then YIG continues to be decomposed, forming Fe₂O₃. Consequently, the saturation magnetization of Ce₁Y₂Fe₅O₁₂ films decreases first and then increases correspondingly, which indicates that the magnetic properties of Ce₁Y₂Fe₅O₁₂ films are mainly related to the microstructure.     

Ce2-xDyxFe17合金的磁熵研究

研究了Ce_2-xDy_xFe₁₇(x=0.0,0.3,0.5,1.0)系列合金在77—298K温区范围磁熵变,发现Ce_2-xDy_xFe₁₇系列合金有较大的磁熵变,居里温度可通过离子替代而改变,是一种可供选择的室温磁致冷材料.     

119Sn and 57Fe M?ssbauer study of the local structure of perovskite-type ferrites CaFe2 ? x N x O5 ( N = Sc, Al) and manganite CaMn7O12

Anion-deficient substituted ferrites Ca₂Fe_{2 − x} N _x O₅ (N = Sc³⁺, Al³⁺) and mixed manganite CaMn₇O₁₂ have been investigated by ¹¹⁹Sn and ⁵⁷Fe probe M?ssbauer spectroscopy. The mechanism of charge compensation for heterovalent impurity Sn⁴⁺ ions in the structure of the ferrite Ca₂Fe₂O₅ has been established. The presence of nonequivalent crystallographic positions of manganese cations, caused by their charge ordering in the structure of the manganite CaMn₇O₁₂, is shown. Magnetic ordering of Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ cations in the octahedral sublattice of CaMn₇O₁₂ at T < T _M2 ≈ 90 K is established. Original Russian Text ? A.V. Sobolev, I.A. Presnyakov, K.V. Pokholok, V.S. Rusakov, T.V. Gubaidulina, A.V. Baranov, G. Demazeau, 2007, published in Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk Seriya Fizicheskaya, 2007, Vol. 71, No. 9, pp. 1347–1354.     

Synchrotron X-ray study of filled skutterudites CeFe4Sb12 and Ce0.8Fe3CoSb12

In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements are carried out on filled skutterudites CeFe₄Sb₁₂ and Ce_0.8Fe₃CoSb₁₂ up to 32 and 20 GPa, respectively, at room temperature. No phase transformation was observed for both samples in the pressure range. Fitting the pressure-volume data (up to 10 GPa) to the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, the bulk modulus B₀ is determined to be 74(4) GPa, with the pressure derivative B′₀=7(2) for CeFe₄Sb₁₂, and B₀=71(2) GPa and B′₀=8(2) for Ce_0.8Fe₃CoSb₁₂. The bulk moduli of filled skutterudites CeFe₄Sb₁₂ and Ce_0.8Fe₃CoSb₁₂ in our study are smaller than those from previous studies on unfilled skutterudite CoSb₃. The P-V curves of the unfilled skutterudite CoSb₃ and filled skutterudites Ce_yFe_4−xCo_xSb₁₂ showed good agreement, indicating that the Ce filling fraction and the replacement of Fe with Co have little effect on their compression behaviors.     

Anomalous hall effect in HoB12

Within a wide temperature range of 1.8–300 K, the Hall effect in holmium dodecaboride is investigated. The measurements of the angular dependences of the Hall resistance ρ_H(φ, T, H) for HoB₁₂ performed in a high magnetic field up to 80 kOe at helium and intermediate temperatures made it possible to separate the normal and anomalous contributions to the Hall effect. Analysis of the anomalous component behavior in the paramagnetic and Néel phases suggests the appearance of the 5d-state magnetic polarization (the spin polaron effect) and makes it possible to compare the revealed features of the Hall coefficient R _H(T, H) with the H-T magnetic phase diagram of HoB₁₂. Original Russian Text ? N.E. Sluchanko, D.N. Sluchanko, V.V. Glushkov, S.V. Demishev, N.A. Samarin, N.Yu. Shitsevalova, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 691–694.     

Structural, dielectric, and conducting properties of brownmillerite solid solutions (La0.2Sr1.8)[Ga(Fe1?xMx)]O5.1±y (M = Cu, Ni)

Oxygen-conducting (La_0.2Sr_1.8)[Ga(Fe_1−x M _x)]O_5.1±y (M = Cu, Ni) ceramics with brownmillerite structure were studied. It is found that the lattice contracts with an increase in the concentration of nickel cations; this observation indicates the possible presence of cations in the Ni⁴⁺ oxidation state and an increase in the total conductivity with substitution of iron with nickel and copper cations (i.e., an increase in electronic conductivity). Original Russian Text ? S.V. Zaitsev, G.M. Kaleva, E.D. Politova, 2007, published in Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Fizicheskaya, 2007, Vol. 71, No. 5, pp. 624–627.     

Magnetic properties of the Ce2Fe17−xMnx helical magnets up to high magnetic fields

Magnetic properties of the Ce₂Fe_17−xMn_x, x=0–2, alloys in magnetic fields up to 40 T are reported. The compounds with x=0.5–1 are helical antiferromagnets and those with 1<x?2 are helical ferromagnets or helical antiferromagnets at low and high T, respectively. Mn ions in the system carry average magnetic moment of 3.0±0.2 μ_B that couple antiparallelly to the Fe moments. Easy-plane magnetic anisotropy in the Ce₂Fe_17−xMn_x compounds weakens upon substitution of Mn for Fe. The absolute value of the first anisotropy constant in the Ce₂Fe_17−xMn_x helical ferromagnets decreases slower with increasing temperature than that calculated from the third power of the spontaneous magnetization. Noticeable magnetic hysteresis in the Ce₂Fe_17−xMn_x, x=0.5–2, helical magnets over the whole range of magnetic fields reflects mainly irreversible deformation of the helical magnetic structure during the magnetization of the compounds. A contribution from short-range order (SRO) magnetic clusters to the magnetic hysteresis of the helical magnets has been also estimated.     

Crystal structure and magnetic ordering of manganites La0.7Ca0.3Mn1 ? y Fe y O3

The influence of the replacement of Mn ions in the La_0.7Ca_0.3Mn_{1 − y} Fe _y O₃ compounds (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.09) by another transitional metal, Fe, was studied. The radii of both ions are almost identical, which makes the effect of the transitional metal on the physical properties of manganites more transparent. The crystal structure of three samples (with y = 0, 0.03, 0.09) is studied in the temperature range T = 1.5–300 K by neutron powder diffraction. All investigated samples belong to the orthorhombic space group Pnma (62). It is confirmed that Fe ions occupy the Mn positions in the unit cell. As the Fe concentration increases, the saturation value of the spontaneous magnetic moment and the Curie temperature decrease, but the ground state remains ferromagnetic for 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.1. The saturation values of the magnetic moments at T = 1.5 K are m _FM = 3.72(3), 3.40(3), and 3.27(3) μ _B /Mn for the samples with an Fe concentration y = 0, 0.03, and 0.09, respectively. Original Russian Text ? A.I. Kurbakov, V.S. Zakhvalinskii, R. Laiho, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 691–695.     

Enhancement of thermoelectric performance with pressure in Ce0.8Fe3CoSb12.1

Transport properties (resistivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient) and sound velocities have been determined for the skutterudite Ce_0.8Fe₃CoSb_12.1 with pressure up to 14 GPa. From these measurements, high pressure anomalous features were found in all transport properties. By correlating these with results from previous x-ray work, it has been determined that there is likely an electronic topological transition in this material induced by pressure. This is possibly due to the known pressure variation of valence in the void-filling Ce atom and has been found to induce an improved figure of merit at higher pressures, which shows a nearly two-fold increase with applied pressure. At higher pressures, it was determined that this anomalous behavior is suppressed and is possibly induced by insertion of Sb from the cage into the remaining central voids of the structure, similar to that seen in the CoSb₃ parent compound.     

IR investigation of the interaction of deuterium with Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 and Cl-doped Ce0.6Zr0.4O2

The interaction of deuterium with Ce_0.6Zr_0.4O₂, synthesised by a co-precipitation technique, is discussed on the basis of the sample's bulk and surface composition and the presence of trace amounts of silicon. Redox cycling resulted in surface cerium enrichment, which, however, only moderately affected the interaction of the material with D₂. Addition of a trace amount of chloride ion to the oxide surface promoted both H/D scrambling and vacancy creation. Chloride ion was also found to prevent the surface cerium enrichment induced by redox cycling.     

Praseodymium valence state in PrFe10Mo2, PrNi5, and PrNi4M intermetallic compounds (M = Cu, Al, Ga)

X-ray L ₃ absorption spectra of Pr and the crystallochemical characteristics of the PrFe₁₀Mo₂ and PrNi₅ intermetallic compounds have been studied. It has been shown for the first time that atoms of Pr, similar to those of Ce, can reside in a mixed valence state. The valency of praseodymium is +3.08 ± 0.03 and +3.10 ± 0.03 in PrFe₁₀Mo₂ and PrNi₅, respectively. The mixed valence state of Pr disappears when one Ni atom in PrNi₅ is replaced by Al or Ga. The nature of the quadrivalent state of Pr in intermetallic compounds is discussed. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2005, pp. 412–416. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2005 by Efremova, Shcherbakova, Kuchin, Finkel’shtein, Vilisov, Shkvarin.     

X-ray Debye temperature of mechanically milled Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 spinel ferrite

The X-ray Debye temperatures, θ _M , of spinel ferrite composition Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄, mechanically milled upto 9 hrs, were determined from integrated intensities of selected Bragg reflections. The θ _M was found to increase with milling time. The results are explained in the light of milling induced grain orientation and surface effect. The values of θ _M were found to be lower as compared to the Debye temperatures obtained from infrared spectral data analysis. The difference can be explained on the basis of increase in an excess free volume in the form of vacancies and vacancy clusters associated with grain boundaries.     

Identification of the La6F37 cubooctahedral clusters in mixed crystals (BaF2)1 ? x(LaF3)x by the electron paramagnetic resonance method

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of mixed crystals (BaF₂)_{1 − x} (LaF₃) _x (x = 0, 0.001, 0.002, 0.005, 0.010, 0.020) doped with Ce³⁺ ions (0.1%) are investigated at a frequency v ≈ 9.5 GHz in magnetic fields up to 1.45 T at temperatures T = 10 and 15 K. The EPR spectrum of “pure” barium fluoride BaF₂ (x = 0) is characterized by a single Ce³⁺-F⁻ center with tetragonal symmetry (i.e., the O center with g _‖ = 2.601 and g _⊥ = 1.555). For a lanthanum trifluoride concentration x ≠ 0, the spectrum exhibits new lines due to the presence of the clusters containing Ce³⁺ and La³⁺ ions. The intensity of EPR signals from the O centers decreases rapidly as the lanthanum trifluoride concentration x increases. The lines attributed to a paramagnetic center with tetragonal symmetry and strongly anisotropic g factors (i.e., the K center with g _‖ = 0.725 and g _⊥ = 2.52) are separated in the complex EPR spectrum with the use of the angular dependence of the EPR signal intensity measured for the samples with x ≥ 0.002. This center is identified as a cubooctahedral cluster of the La₆F₃₇ type in which one of the La³⁺ ions is replaced by the Ce³⁺ ion. Original Russian Text ? L.K. Aminov, I.N. Kurkin, S.P. Kurzin, I.A. Gromov, G.V. Mamin, R.M. Rakhmatullin, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 11, pp. 1990–1993.     

Electronic structure and the infrared absorption and Raman spectra of the semiconductor clusters C24, B12N12, Si12C12, Zn12O12, and Ga12N12

The optimized configurations, electronic structures, charge transfers, band gaps, total energies, cohesive energies, electron density maps, infrared absorption spectra, Raman spectra, and relevant modes of natural acoustic vibrations for the semiconductor clusters C₂₄, B₁₂N₁₂, Si₁₂C₁₂, Zn₁₂O₁₂, and Ga₁₂N₁₂ are calculated using the ab initio Hartree-Fock method in the 6–31G basis set. Original Russian Text ? V.V. Pokropivny, L.I. Ovsyannikova, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 535–542.     

Upper critical magnetic field in Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2 and Ba(Fe0.93Co0.07)2As2

We report measurements of the temperature dependence of the radio frequency magnetic penetration depth in Ba_0.68K_0.32Fe₂As₂ and Ba(Fe_0.93Co_0.07)₂As₂ single crystals in pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T. From our data, we construct an H-T-phase diagram for the inter-plane (H ‖ c) and in-plane (H ‖ ab) directions for both compounds. For both field orientations in Ba_0.68K_0.32Fe₂As₂ we find a concave curvature of the H _c2(T) lines with decreasing anisotropy and saturation towards lower temperature. Taking into account Pauli spin paramagnetism we can describe H _c2(T) and its anisotropy. In contrast, we find that Pauli paramagnetic pair breaking is not essential for Ba(Fe_0.93Co_0.07)₂As₂. For this electron-doped compound, the data support a H _c2(T) dependence that can be described by the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg model for H ‖ ab and a two-gap behavior for H ‖ c.     

Measurement of the e+e? → π+π? cross section with the CMD-2 detector in the 370–520-MeV energy range

The results of the experiment on the measurement of the e ⁺ e ⁻ → π⁺π⁻ cross section in a cm energy range of 370–520 MeV are presented. The systematic measurement error is equal to 0.7%. In the vector dominance model, the pion electromagnetic radius is calculated using all the CMD-2 data on the pion form factor. The cross section for the production of a muon pair is measured in the energy range of the experiment. Original Russian Text ? V.M. Aul’chenko, R.R. Akhmetshin, V.Sh. Banzarov, L.M. Barkov, N.S. Bashtovoĭ, D.V. Bondarev, A.E. Bondar’, A.V. Bragin, N.I. Gabyshev, D.A. Gorbachev, A.A. Grebenyuk, D.N. Grigor’ev, S.K. Dhawan, D.A. Epifanov, A.S. Zaĭtsev, S.G. Zverev, F.V. Ignatov, V.F. Kazanin, S.V. Karpov, I.A. Koop, P.P. Krokovny, A.S. Kuz’min, I.B. Logashenko, P.A. Lukin, A.P. Lysenko, A.I. Mil’shteĭn, K.Yu. Mikhaĭlov, I.N. Nesterenko, M.A. Nikulin, A.V. Otboev, V.S. Okhapkin, E.A. Perevedentsev, A.S. Popov, S.I. Redin, B.L. Roberts, N.I. Root, A.A. Ruban, N.M. Ryskulov, A.L. Sibidanov, V.A. Sidorov, A.N. Skrinsky, V.P. Smakhtin, I.G. Snopkov, E.P. Solodov, J.A. Thompson, G.V. Fedotovich, B.I. Khazin, V.W. Hughes, A.G. Shamov, Yu.M. Shatunov, B.A. Shvarts, S.I. éĭdel’man, Yu.V. Yudin, 2006, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2006, Vol. 84, No. 8, pp. 491–495.     

Preparation and characterization of co-doped (Ce0.80La0.15Al0.05O1.90) and multiple-doped (Ce0.80Sm0.10Gd0.05Al0.05O1.90 and Ce0.80Gd0.10Sm0.05Al0.05O1.90) ceria

Attempts have been made to synthesize a few compositions Ce_0.80La_0.15Al_0.05O_1.90, Ce_0.80Sm_0.10Gd_0.05Al_0.05O_1.90, and Ce_0.80Gd_0.10Sm_0.05Al_0.05O_1.90 by citrate–nitrate auto-combustion method. The aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of co-doping and multiple doping on the ionic conductivity of CeO₂ for its use as solid electrolyte in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. XRD patterns showed that all the samples have fluorite-type crystal structure similar to undoped ceria. Microstructures of thermally etched samples have been studied by scanning electron microscopy. Contributions of grains σ _g and grain boundaries σ _gb to the total conductivity σ _T, have been determined using impedance analysis. Impedance measurements were made in the frequency range 1 Hz–1 MHz and temperature range 250–500 °C. Our experimental results show that multiple doping is more effective than co-doping for improving the oxide ion conductivity of ceria in the materials investigated in the present study.     

Invar effects in Zr0.7Nb0.3Fe2

A thermal expansion anomaly similar to that of the invar alloy was observed in a Laves phase intermetallic compound, Zr_0.7Nb_0.3Fe₂. This anomaly is explained as a result of a large spontaneous volume magnetostriction. Magnetic properties and magnetovolume effects of this material are discussed on the basis of the band of ferromagnetism.