Magnetic properties of RCr2Si2 compounds (R=Tb,Er)

We report on magnetic properties of RCr₂Si₂ compounds with R=Tb, Er. The polycrystalline samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and found to be isostructurally crystallizing in the ThCr₂Si₂-type tetragonal structure. The samples were further investigated by specific heat, AC-susceptibility and magnetization methods in the temperature range 2–900 K and in magnetic fields up to 9 T. The magnetic measurements revealed the magnetic ordering of the rare-earth moments below about 2 K, whilst no high-temperature ordering of the Cr moments was observed. The evidence of for Cr magnetism is corroborated by results of first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT).     

Large magnetocaloric effect in HoFeO3 single crystal

Magnetocaloric properties of HoFeO₃ single crystal are investigated along the direction [100]. Magnetic field dependent magnetization isotherms at different temperatures undergo a metamagnetic transition, entropy change as large as 19.2 J/kg K and 15.8 J/kg K are obtained at 7 T in the vicinity of antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of Ho³⁺ and the metamagnetic transition, respectively. The coupling of Ho and Fe spins generates the compensation behavior at 6.5 K, separating the two large magnetic entropy change. Its refrigeration capacity (RC) value, as high as 220 J/kg, is appreciable and can be considered as a promising magnetic refrigerant. New evidence for spin reorientation of Fe³⁺ in HoFeO₃ is also provided by the change of magnetic entropy.     

Cluster-glass behavior in Al70Pd20Mn10

We carried out precise magnetization measurements in an Al₇₀Pd₂₀Mn₁₀ quasicrystalline system using a high-quality single crystal. A strange phenomena was observed at room temperature, which was a difference between zero field cooled and field cooled magnetization below 290 K. The thermoremanent magnetization also disappeared at 290 K. These experimental results suggest the forming of ferrimagnetic Mn ions clusters in Al₇₀Pd₂₀Mn₁₀ below 290 K. In addition, high field magnetization in the temperature range between 4.2 and 30 K up to 12 T was also measured to investigate the anisotropic molecular field between clusters.     

Anisotropic properties of rare-earth dibismites

We report measurements of magnetic, thermal and transport properties of single crystals of rare-earth dibismites RBi₂ (R=La–Nd, Sm), grown via self-flux method. All compounds are good metals, and those with magnetic ions order antiferromagnetically at low temperatures. Ce, Pr and Sm members of the series show single magnetic transition whereas NdBi₂ most likely exhibits two magnetic transitions. Significant magnetic anisotropy and a series of metamagnetic transitions in fields up to 55 kG are found in PrBi₂. Ordering temperatures range from 3 K to just above 16 K and they scale well with the de Gennes factor.     

Giant magnetic refrigerant capacity in Ho3Al2 compound

Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects (MCEs) of the intermetallic Ho₃Al₂ compound are investigated by magnetization and heat capacity measurements. Two successive magnetic transitions, a spin-reorientation (SR) transition at T_SR=31 K followed by a ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) transition at T_C=40 K, are observed. Both magnetic transitions contribute to the MCE and result in a large magnetic entropy change (ΔS_M) in a wide temperature range. The maximum values of ?ΔS_M and adiabatic temperature change (ΔT_ad) reach 18.7 J/kg K and 4.8 K for the field changes of 0–5 T, respectively. In particular, a giant value of refrigerant capacity (RC) is estimated to be 704 J/kg for a field change of 5 T, which is much higher than those of many potential refrigerant materials with similar transition temperatures.     

Ferrimagnet with magnetic instability: influence of susceptibility on magnetization curves

Magnetic phase diagrams of a two-sublattice ferrimagnet with an unstable subsystem are calculated when the susceptibility is taken into account. Analytical expressions for the critical fields and characteristic values of parameters are derived. Evolution of the magnetic phase diagrams and magnetization curves is analyzed. The magnetization curves of the compounds Y_0.8Ho_0.2(Co_0.925Al_0.075)₂ and Y_0.83Er_0.17(Co_0.92Al_0.08)₂ are measured in fields up to 100 T. Two metamagnetic transitions associated with the magnetic instability of the d-subsystem are observed in both compounds. The numerical analysis in the framework of the molecular-field theory provides a determining of the reliable f–d exchange parameters.     

Kinetic studies of electronically conducting Yb3Al5O12 garnet

Upon reduction, originally fully transparent and insulating ytterbium alumina garnet single crystals, Yb₃Al₅O₁₂, become deeply colored and electrically conducting with a conductivity of the order of 10^− 3 Ω^− 1 cm^− 1 in the temperature range of 550 °C to 1000 °C. The redox kinetics of the material is studied by means of conductivity relaxation experiments performed at oxidising and reducing conditions. Good agreement is obtained with an optical study into the redox kinetics of Yb₃Al₅O₁₂.     

Influence of local environment on electronic properties of Co atoms in the Tm3Co11B4 compound

The electronic structure of the Tm₃Co₁₁B₄ compound has been studied by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio self-consistent tight binding linear muffin tin orbital (TB LMTO) method. This compound crystallizes in the hexagonal Ce₃Co₁₁B₄-type structure (P6/mmm). We have found a good agreement between the experimental XPS valence band spectra and theoretical ab initio calculations. The calculated total magnetic moment is equal to 13.635 μ_B/f.u. The magnetic moments on the Co atoms are antiparallel to the moments of the Tm atoms. Their values are depended on the local environment, especially on the number of the Co neighbors. The theoretical results are compared with other calculations, saturation magnetization measurements as well as neutron diffraction data for R₃Co₁₁B₄ (R=Y, Nd, Gd, Tb).     

Magnetostriction and magnetization measurements on a DyNi2B2C single crystal in a magnetic field

In order to investigate the interactions between lattice properties, magnetic ordering and superconductivity of DyNi₂B₂C, thermal expansion, magnetostriction and magnetization measurements were performed for T=2–15 K and for μ₀H=0–3 T on a single crystal in the crystallographic [1 1 0] direction. A magnetic phase diagram is derived that shows two phases (AF1 and AF2) in the narrow region between the zero-field antiferromagnetic AF and the induced ferromagnetic state FM. Moreover, it is characterized by a large-field hysteresis. This behaviour can be described by a two domain magnetic state. The metamagnetic structure AF1 with about a quarter of the saturated magnetization is responsible for suppressing the superconductivity in DyNi₂B₂C because of its ferromagnetic component.     

Magnetic properties of GdCo12B6 compound under high pressures

The effects of hydrostatic pressure up to 10 kbar on Curie temperature T_C, compensation temperature T_COMP and spontaneous magnetization M_S of ferrimagnetic GdCo₁₂B₆ compound have been studied. Two antiferromagnetically coupled sublattices that are carrying magnetization of typically 0.42 μ_B/Co atom and 7 μ_B/Gd cancel out at compensation temperature at about 50 K and magnetic ordering temperature T_C=163±2 K. The volume dependence of intrinsic magnetic properties of the GdCo₁₂B₆ compound has been determined by studying it under hydrostatic pressure. The observed increase of M_S with pressure (dM_S/dp=+0.005 μ_B kbar^?1 at 5 K) is attributed predominantly to the pressure induced decrease of Co magnetic moments. The crucial role of Co in this behavior is confirmed by the change of sign of the pressure slope at temperatures above T_COMP and by the fact that the estimated decrease of m_Co is also quite comparable with pressure induced decrease of M_S in YCo₁₂B₆ (dM_S/dp=?0.007 μ_B kbar^?1). The decrease of m_Co is also responsible for the increase of T_COMP with pressure (dT_COMP/dp=+0.06 K kbar^?1). The decrease of T_C with pressure (dT_C/dp=?0.55 K kbar^?1) is comparable to the decrease observed on RCo₁₂B₆ compounds with non-magnetic R and can be attributed to the volume dependence of Co–Co exchange interactions. The remarkable role of the hybridization as a consequence of small distances between Co and B atoms could be a background of this rather unexpected volume stability of magnetic properties.     

Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe86.7Zr3.3B4Ag6 thin film

The changes of magnetic properties with annealing temperature were studied in the amorphous Fe_86.7Zr_3.3B₄Ag₆ thin film. The thin films were deposited by a DC magnetron sputtering method, annealed at 300–700°C for 1 h in vacuum under a field of 1.5 kOe parallel to the film plane, and then furnace-cooled. As a result, it has been found that the Ag addition to Fe–Zr–B amorphous thin films resulted in the decrease of crystallization temperature to 400°C due to promoted crystallization ability. Also, it gave rise to formation of fine BCC α-Fe crystalline precipitates with a grain size smaller than 10 nm in the amorphous matrix near 400°C, and led to prominent enhancement in the magnetic properties of the Fe_86.7Zr_3.3B₄Ag₆ thin films. Significantly, excellent magnetic properties such as a saturation magnetization of 1.7 T, a coercive force of 1 Oe and a permeability of 7800 at 50 MHz were obtained in the amorphous Fe_86.7Zr_3.3B₄Ag₆ thin film containing 7.2 nm-size BCC α-Fe, which was annealed at 400°C. Also, core loss of 1.4 W cm⁻³ (B_m=0.1 T) at 1 MHz in the thin film was obtained, and it is a much lower value than had been obtained in any existing soft magnetic materials. Such excellent properties are inferred to originate from the uniform dispersion of nano-size BCC α-Fe in the amorphous matrix.     

Magnetic phase transitions in the Nd(Mn0.9Me0.1)O3 (Me=Al, Fe, Cr, Zn) perovskites

It is shown that perovskite NdMnO₃ is a weak ferromagnet with an anomalous magnetization behavior due to Nd sublattice contribution. Ferromagnetic component drastically increases whereas T_N slightly decreases when a part of manganese ions is replaced with Cr, Al, Fe, Zn. It is suggested that the Mn³⁺–O–Mn³⁺ superexchange interaction changes a sign in the microdomains enriched with Me=Cr, Al, Fe, Zn ions due to removing static Jahn–Teller distortions. All these substituted perovskites show a sharp drop of the magnetization as temperature decreases. A large temperature hysteresis indicates first-order phase transition. Below this transition neodymium magnetic moments orient opposite to a moment of manganese magnetic sublattice. It is supposed that this phase transition results from a change of the ground state of Nd ions.     

Synthesis under ambient pressure and tri-axial magnetic orientation in REBa2Cu4O8 (RE = Y,Sm, Eu,Gd, Dy,Ho, Er)

We report the rare-earth (RE)-dependent magnetization axes of REBa₂Cu₄O₈, which was synthesized by a flux method under ambient pressure, using powder samples tri-axially oriented in a modulated rotating magnetic field of 10 T. By optimizing the growth temperature and cooling rate, RE124 crystals were successfully grown for RE = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, and Er. From the X-ray diffraction measurement, the magnetically oriented directions were largely dependent on the type of RE ions of RE124. However, the tri-axial magnetic anisotropies of RE124 could be qualitatively understood in terms of the magnitude relation between the single-ion magnetic anisotropy of RE³⁺ ions and the magnetic anisotropy generated by the CuO₂ plane and Cu–O chain. For the practical use of this magneto-scientific process, the control of magnetization axes and tri-axial magnetic anisotropies through crystallochemical control is indispensable.     

Magnetism in PrIr2Si2: A single crystal study

We present the results of magnetization, susceptibility and specific-heat measurements of the high-temperature (HT) and low-temperature (LT) phases of PrIr₂Si₂ performed on single-crystalline samples. The HT and LT phases adopt the tetragonal CaBe₂Ge₂-type and ThCr₂Si₂-type structure, respectively. We have found no magnetic phase transition for the HT phase at temperatures down to 2 K. On the other hand, the LT phase apparently orders antiferromagnetically (AF) at 45.5 K and undergoes a transition to another AF phase at T_t=23.7 K. Complexity of the magnetic phase diagram is amplified by two metamagnetic transitions induced by magnetic field applied along the c-axis at temperatures below T_t. The results will be discussed with respect to other polymorphic compounds PrNi₂As₂ and UCo₂Ge₂.     

Magnetism of UCoGe and U3Co4Ge7

A series of UCoGe and U₃Co₄Ge₇ polycrystalline samples has been prepared by arc melting and studied with respect to the phase composition and crystal structure, magnetization, a.c. susceptibility, electrical-resistivity and specific-heat behavior (down to 350 mK). U₃Co₄Ge₇ has been found to exhibit a spontaneous magnetization below T_C=21 K. Clear anomalies at T_C typical for a ferromagnetic transition have been observed in a.c. susceptibility, electrical-resistivity and specific-heat data. No additional anomaly, which would indicate the second magnetic phase transition below T_C reported in the literature, has been indicated. In all our UCoGe samples a transition to superconductivity has been revealed. On the other hand, no clear evidence of any transition to ferromagnetism with zero-field cooling down to 1.8 K has been obtained. The zero-field state is most probably governed by strong ferromagnetic spin fluctuations and seems to transform to a ferromagnetic state only when applying a magnetic field ≥10 mT. Simultaneously, an increase of the superconducting transition temperature is increasing with a magnetic field up to 10 mT and starts to decrease when increasing the field above this value. Measurements on bulk samples, which are by rule textured, indicate strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy in both investigated compounds.     

A magnetic and Mössbauer study of melt-spun Nd60Fe30Al10

Nd₆₀Fe₃₀Al₁₀ alloys were rapidly quenched by the melt-spinning technique with different wheel surface speeds ranging from 5 to 30 m/s. The microstructure and the magnetic properties were strongly dependent on the quenching rate. A high quenching rate led to an amorphous structure with a low coercivity at room temperature, while a mixture of amorphous and crystalline phases was found after melt-spinning at 5 m/s, which exhibited hard magnetic properties at room temperature. For both the ribbons melt-spun at 5 and 30 m/s respectively, coercivity increased with decreasing temperature and reached a maximum at around 50 K. Maximum magnetization at 10 T increased dramatically at low temperature. Our magnetic study has shown that the presence of crystalline Nd was responsible for the increase of magnetization and the decrease of coercivity, as Nd became magnetically ordered at low temperatures. The Mössbauer study has shown that the magnetic microstructures of melt-spun ribbons were not uniform, as the spectra needed to be fitted by magnetic and non-magnetic components.     

Pressure effect on magnetic properties of RCo12B6 (R=Y,Ce) compounds

The effect of pressure on magnetic properties of YCo₁₂B₆ and CeCo₁₂B₆ was studied in temperature range 5–300 K at pressures up to 9 kbar. The Curie temperature T_C and spontaneous magnetization M_S decrease with pressure for both compounds. The decrease can be attributed mostly to the volume dependence of both, the Co magnetic moment and the exchange interactions. The hybridization of the p–d states as a consequence of small distances between the Co and B atoms can be one reason of the relatively low pressure effects (ΔT_C/Δp=?0.39±0.02 K/kbar, d ln M_S/dp=?0.0013±0.0002 kbar^?1) in YCo₁₂B₆. Higher volume sensitivity of magnetic properties of CeCo₁₂B₆ in comparison with YCo₁₂B₆ can be attributed to the pressure induced changes of the Ce f- and Co d-states.     

A magnetic study of the CeScSi-type RZrSb compounds (R=Gd–Tm). Large coercive field at low temperature in TbZrSb and DyZrSb

X-ray single crystal refinement performed on the GdZrSb and HoZrSb compounds confirms the CeScSi-type structure for the RZrSb series. Spontaneous magnetization is detected for all the studied compounds (5 K (TmZrSb)<T_C<61 K (TbZrSb)). Both TbZrSb and DyZrSb compounds exhibit a second magnetic transition at low temperature (29 and 21 K, respectively). Large coercive field is measured for these last compounds below the second magnetic transition temperature.     

Uniaxial pressure effect on magnetic susceptibility of perovskite manganite La0.66Ba0.34MnO3

Magnetization of La_0.66Ba_0.34MnO₃ and its temperature behavior under a uniaxial pressure of 0.1 kbar are measured between 5 and 270 K in magnetic fields 0<H<120 Oe. The magnetization represents nearly linear dependence on an external magnetic field. Temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility found represents a plateau, that is considered as an evidence of the formation of a long period magnetic structure (probably a sort of helix) below the Curie point. Pressure derivative of magnetization displays a sharp minimum at 200 K, pointing to an instability of electronic structure of the compound near this temperature.