Quantum critical scaling and the origin of non-fermi-liquid behavior in Sc1-xUxPd3

We used inelastic neutron scattering to study magnetic excitations of Sc1-xUxPd3 for U concentrations (x=0.25, 0.35) near the spin glass quantum critical point (QCP). The excitations are spatially incoherent, broad in energy (E=variant Planck's over 2piomega), and follow omega/T scaling at all wave vectors investigated. Since similar omega/T scaling has been observed for UCu5-xPdx and CeCu6-xAux near the antiferromagnetic QCP, we argue that the observed non-Fermi-liquid behavior in these f-electron materials arises from the critical phenomena near a T=0 K phase transition, irrespective of the nature of the transition.     

AC susceptibility measurements in some RTiFe11-xCox (R = Dy, Ho, Er) compounds: Spin-reorientation behavior

The DyTiFe_{11 - x}Co_x (x = 0, 1, 3), HoTiFe_{11 - x}Co_x (x = 0, 3) and ErTiFe₁₁ compounds, all exhibiting the T hMn₁₂-type structure, were studied for their ac susceptibility in the temperature range 20–300 K. The Dy- and Ho-containing compounds exhibited spin reorientation from axial to cone to planar, or from axial to cone in the temperature range 250-50 K, as expected. In this structure Dy and Ho with negative second-order Stevens' coefficients (_J < 0) favor planar rare earth sublattice anisotropy, while Fe and Co sublattices favor uniaxial and planar anisotropies, respectively and would be in competition as a function of temperature. A spin-reorientation type of behavior was also observed in the ErTiFe₁₁ compound near 50 K. This observation appears to imply that, in this compound, the higher-order crystal-field terms are important. The magnetization data revealed that in these systems the rare earth and transition metal sublattices coupled antiparallel, as is normally the case in the heavy rare-earth-transition-metal compounds.     

Magnetic susceptibility and Eu Mössbauer studies on cubic ternary compounds: EuPtSi and EuPdSi

Two new equiatomic ternary compounds, EuPtSi and EuPdSi, have been synthesized and are found to crystallize in the cubic LaIrSi type structure. The magnetic susceptibility of both compounds follows Curie-Weiss behavior in the temperature range 10 to 300 K with an effective magnetic moment close to that of Eu²⁺ moment. The paramagnetic Curie temperatures are 5 K for EuPtSi and 9 K for EuPdSi. There is no clear indication of magnetic ordering in the susceptibility of both the compounds down to 4.2 K. However, ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer studies show a hyperfine split pattern in EuPtSi at 4.2 K indicating the onset of magnetic ordering. The ¹⁵¹Eu isomer shifts are temperature independent and are characteristic of the divalent Eu ion. All these results establish that the Eu ions are in a stable divalent state in these compounds.     

Structural,magnetic and151Eu Mössbauer studies on EuTCu4 (T-Al,Pd and Ag) compounds

New ternary compounds having the formula EuTCu₄ where T=Al, Pd and Ag have been synthesized. All these compounds are found to crystallize in the hexagonal CaCu₅ type structure. Magnetization measurements reveal that these compounds are magnetically ordered with magnetic moments close to 7 μ_B. The Curie temperatures obtained from low field ac susceptibility measurements are 26K, 25K and 50K for T-Al, Pd and Ag respectively.¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer studies at room temperature show a large negative isomer shift relative to SmF₃. A hyperfine split pattern is observed at 4.2K in all these compounds, indicating that Eu ion is present in a divalent state and is magnetically ordered.     

Superconductivity in Bi2.2Ca2.8−x Sr x Cu2O y system and effect of rare earth substitution

The oxide system Bi_2.2Ca_2.8−x Sr _x Cu₂O _y has been investigated for superconductivity as a function of Ca/Sr ratio withx=0.7, 1.0, 1.4 and 1.8. All these compositions are found to be superconducting with onset temperature in the range of 80–90 K implying a large homogeneity range between Sr and Ca for the superconductivity to occur in this system. Effect of partial replacement of Bi by rare earths has been studied and it is observed that 20% replacement of Bi by Nd and Eu does not significantly affect the superconducting transition temperature.     

Crystal electric field excitations in ferromagnetic CeTX compounds

A ferromagnetic ground state was identified for the compounds CeCuGe (T_C=10 K), CeCuSi (T_C=15 K) [F. Yang, et al., J. Appl. Phys. 69 (1991) 4705] and CeAuGe (T_C=10 K) [R. Pottgen, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 152 (1996) 196]. The observed saturation magnetic moment values at low temperatures for all three compounds are considerably less than the theoretically expected value g_JJ=2.14μ_B for the free Ce³⁺ ion involving the entire six-fold J=5/2 multiplet, and thus provide a first indication of partial lifting of the f-electron level degeneracy in these compounds. Specific heat data yield crystal electric field (CEF) excitation energies (Δ_Sch) equivalent to 140 K for CeCuGe, 110 K for CeCuSi and 280 K for CeAuGe. To confirm the presence of CEF excitations directly, we have carried out inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements on all three compounds, using the HET spectrometer at ISIS Facility. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the INS spectra of CeCuSi on the basis of a CEF model and the detailed analysis of the INS of the other two compounds will be reported elsewhere.     

Stability of a microwave heated fluid Layer

When a time harmonic electromagnetic wave impinges on a slaba certain portion of the wave creates heat within the slab throughdipolar and ohmic heating. The electrical and thermal propertiesof the material dictate the dynamical nature of the heatingprocess, as well as the steady-state temperature profile. Thematerial considered here is a slab of fluid. We consider thecase where the fluid is bounded by thin rigid layers of transparentmaterial. The steady-state heating profile governs the typesof convective motions that can occur and also affects the stabilitycharacteristics of temperature, pressure and velocity perturbationsintroduced in the slab. The main objective here is to examinesuch stability characteristics, initially in the linear regime.Both rigid-rigid and rigid-free configurations are considered.     

μSR studies of magnetic properties of CeRhSb and La0.1Ce0.9RhSb

Zero, longitudinal, and transverse field μSR data are reported for CeRhSband La_0.1Ce_0.9RhSbdown to 45 mK. The muon spin relaxation at temperatures above a few Kelvin is caused by nuclear dipoles. Only at lower temperatures the additional depolarizing effect of electronic moments is observable, signalizing the onset of magnetic correlations in the 4f moment system. These findings are compared to the corresponding data on CeNiSn, showing that the ground state properties are basically alike in the two materials, that is, magnetic correlations develop, but remain weakly dynamic and long range antiferromagnetic order does not set in. The results for La_0.1Ce_0.9RhSbdiffer little from those of pure CeRhSb, indicating that the magnetic ground state properties as seen by μSR have not been altered significantly. The muonic Knight shift in CeRhSb exhibits similar features as the bulk susceptibility in the temperature range between 20 and 2 K. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Signatures of spin-glass behaviour in PrIr2B2 and heavy fermion behaviour in PrIr2B2C

The magnetic and transport properties of PrIr(2)B(2) and PrIr(2)B(2)C have been investigated by dc and ac magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements. PrIr(2)B(2) forms in CaRh(2)B(2)-type orthorhombic crystal structure (space group Fddd). At low fields the dc magnetic susceptibility of PrIr(2)B(2) exhibits a sharp anomaly near 46 K which is followed by an abrupt increase below 10 K with a peak at 6 K, and split-up in ZFC and FC data below 46 K. In contrast, the specific heat exhibits only a broad Schottky type hump near 9 K which indicates that there is no long range magnetic order in this compound. The thermo-remanent magnetization is found to decay very slowly with a mean relaxation time τ = 3917 s. An ac magnetic susceptibility measurement also observes two sharp anomalies; the peak positions strongly depend on the frequency and shift towards high temperature with an increase in frequency, obeying the Vogel-Fulcher law as expected for a canonical spin-glass system. The two spin-glass transitions occur at freezing temperatures T(f1) = 36 K and T(f2) = 3.5 K with shifts in the freezing temperatures per decade of frequency δT(f1) = 0.044 and δT(f2) = 0.09. An analysis of the frequency dependence of the transition temperature with critical slowing down, τ(max)/τ(0) = [(T(f)-T(SG))/T(SG)](-zν), gives τ(0) = 10(-7) s and exponent zν = 8, and the Vogel-Fulcher law gives an activation energy of 84 K for T(f1) and 27.5 K for T(f2). While zν = 8 is typical for spin-glass system, the characteristic relaxation time τ(0) = 10(-7) s is very large and comparable to that of superspin-glass systems. An addition of C in PrIr(2)B(2) leads to PrIr(2)B(2)C which forms in LuNi(2)B(2)C-type tetragonal structure (space group I4/mmm) and remains paramagnetic down to 2 K. The specific heat data show a broad Schottky type anomaly, which could be fairly reproduced with CEF analysis which suggests that the ground state is a CEF-split singlet and the first excited state singlet is situated 15 K above the ground state. The Sommerfeld coefficient γ～300 mJ mol(-1) K(-2) of PrIr(2)B(2)C is very high and reflects a heavy fermion behaviour in this compound. We believe that the heavy fermion state in PrIr(2)B(2)C has its origin in low lying crystal field excitations as has been observed in PrRh(2)B(2)C.