Bulk Sn1−xMnxO2 magnetic semiconductors without room-temperature ferromagnetism

Polycrystalline Sn_1−xMn_xO₂ (0≤x≤0.05) diluted magnetic semiconductors were prepared by solid-state reaction method and their structural and magnetic properties had been investigated systematically. The three Mn-doped samples (x=0.01, 0.03, 0.05) undergo paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transitions upon cooling, but their Curie temperatures are far lower than room temperature. The magnetization cannot be attributed to any identified impurity phase. It is also found that the magnetization increases with increasing Mn doping, while the ratio of the Mn ions contributing to ferromagnetic ordering to the total Mn ions decreases.     

Structural and magnetic properties of Cu1−xMnxO nanocrystal prepared by combustion synthesis

Nanoscale Cu_1−xMn_xO powder is prepared by using the combustion synthesis technique with two different fuels. The structural properties of the powder are determined using Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while its magnetic properties are analyzed by means of hysteresis loop and temperature dependence of magnetization. The results show that (1) the Cu_1−xMn_xO nanocrystal is of monoclinic CuO structure, with grain size of 10-30 nm varying with the type of fuel, the nitrate/fuel ratio (N/F), and the Mn concentration, the doping of Mn has a little influence on the lattice parameters; (2) when the Mn concentration is higher than 7%, a small amount of impurity phase of CuMn₂O₄ appears and annihilates the potential cation vacancies; (3) all of the samples with x≥5% exhibit low-temperature ferromagnetism with the Curie temperature of ∼90 K, which increases slightly by raising the Mn concentration; (4) the paramagnetic moment per Mn ion is around 2-4 bohr magneton above the Curie temperature, which decreases with increasing Mn concentration, implying that the nearest Mn ions are antiferromagnetically coupled and the ferromagnetic order could originate from the super-exchange of next nearest Mn ions along the [1 0 1?] direction.     

Structure, magnetic, and transport properties of the Co-doped manganites La0.9Te0.1Mn1−xCoxO3 (0≤x≤0.25)

The effect of Co doping at Mn-site on the structural, magnetic and electrical transport properties in electron-doped manganties La_0.9Te_0.1Mn_1−xCoxO₃ (0≤x≤0.25) has been investigated. The room temperature structural transition from rhombohedra to orthorhombic (Pbnm) symmetry is found in these samples with x≥0.20 by the Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction patterns. All samples undergo the paramagnetic-ferromagnetic (PM-FM) phase transition. The Curie temperature T_C of these samples decreases and the transition becomes broader with increasing Co-doping level. The magnetization magnitude of Co-doping samples increases at low temperatures with increasing Co-doping level for x≤0.15 and decreases with increasing Co-doping content further. The metal-insulator (M-I) transitions observed in the sample with x=0 are completely suppressed with Co doping, and the resistivity displays semiconducting behavior within the measured temperature region for these samples with x>0. All results are discussed according to the changes of the structure parameters and magnetic exchange interaction caused by Co-doping. In addition, the different effects between the Co doping and Cu doping in the Mn site for the electron-doped manganites are also discussed.     

Characterization of PbSe1−xTex thin films

The lead salts and their alloys are extremely interesting semiconductors due to their technological importance. The fabrication of devices with alloys of these compounds possessing detecting and lasing capabilities has been an important recent technological development. The high quality polycrystalline thin films of PbSe_1−xTe_x with variable composition (0≤x≤1) have been deposited onto ultra clean glass substrates by vacuum evaporation technique. As deposited films were annealed in vacuum at 350 K. The optical, electrical and structural properties of PbSe_1−xTe_x thin films have been examined. The optical constants (absorption coefficient and bandgap) of the films were determined by absorbance measurements in the wavelength range 2500-5000 nm using Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer. The dc conductivity and activation energy of the films were measured in the temperature range 300-380 K. The X-ray diffraction patterns were used to determine the sample quality, crystal structure and lattice parameter of the films.     

Magnetic/structural diagram, chemical composition-dependent magnetocaloric effect in self-doped antipervoskite compounds Sn1−xCMn3+x (0≤x≤0.40)

The effects of Mn substitutions on the crystal structure, magnetic properties, and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of antiperovskite Sn_1−xCMn_3+x (0≤x≤0.40) have been investigated detailedly. Both the Curie temperature (T_C) and the magnetizations at 40 kOe decrease with increasing x firstly for x≤0.10, and then increase with increasing x further. The type of magnetic transition changes from first-order to second-order around x=0.10 with increasing x. Chemical composition-dependent MCE is also studied around T_C. With increasing x, the maximal magnetic entropy changes decrease and the magnetic phase transitions broaden. Accordingly, the relative cooling power (RCP) increases with increasing x, reaching the largest values of ∼0.56 J/cm³ (∼75 J/kg) and ∼1.66 J/cm³ (∼221 J/kg) with the magnetic changes of 20 kOe and 48 kOe, respectively. Considering the large RCP, inexpensive, and innoxious raw materials, these serial samples Sn_1−xCMn_3+x are suggested to be potential room-temperature magnetic refrigerant materials.     

Structural, magnetic properties and magnetostriction studies of Sm1−xNdxFe1.55 alloys

Structural, magnetic properties and magnetostriction studies of Sm_1−xNd_xFe_1.55 (0≤x≤0.56) alloys have been performed. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the presence of single cubic Laves phase in Sm_1-xNd_xFe_1.55 alloys with 0≤x≤0.48. The lattice parameter of alloys increases linearly with increase in Nd content while the Curie temperature behaves in the opposite way. The alloy x=0.08 exhibits a giant magnetostriction value (λ_∥-λ_⊥) of −2187 ppm at a magnetic field of 12 kOe due to the anisotropy compensation between Sm³⁺ and Nd³⁺ ions.     

Room temperature ferromagnetism behavior of Sn1−xMnxO2 powders

In this paper, we have investigated Mn-doped SnO₂ powder samples prepared by solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction showed a single phase polycrystalline rutile structure. The atomic content of Mn ranged from ∼0.8 to 5 at%. Room temperature M-H loops showed a ferromagnetic behavior for all samples. The ferromagnetic Sn_0.987Mn_0.013O₂ showed a coercivity H_c=545 Oe, which is among the highest reported for dilute magnetic semiconductors. The magnetic moment per Mn atom was estimated to be about 2.54 μ_B of the Sn_0.9921Mn_0.0079O₂ sample. The average magnetic moment per Mn atom sharply decreases with increasing Mn content, while the effective fraction of the Mn ions contributing to the magnetization decreases. The magnetic properties of the Sn_1−xMn_xO₂ are discussed based on the competition between the antiferromagnetic superexchange coupling and the F-center exchange coupling mechanism, in which both oxygen vacancies and magnetic ions are involved.     

Nanoscratch study of Zn1−xMnxO heteroepitaxial layers

We investigated the nanotribological properties of Zn_1−xMn_xO epilayers (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.16) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on sapphire substrates. The surface roughness and friction coefficient (μ) were analyzed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and hysitron triboscope nanoindenter techniques.The nanoscratch system gave the μ value of the films ranging from 0.17 to 0.07 and the penetration depth value ranging 294-200 nm when the Mn content was increased from x = 0 to 0.16. The results strongly indicate that the scratch wear depth under constant load shows that higher Mn content leads to Zn_1−xMn_xO epilayers with higher shear resistance, which enhances the Mn-O bond. These findings reveal that the role of Mn content on the growth of Zn_1−xMn_xO epilayers can be identified by their nanotribological behavior.     

Magnetic/structural phase diagram and enhanced giant magnetoresistance in Zn-doped antiperovskite compound Ga1−xZnxCMn3

The structural, magnetic and electrical transport properties of Zn-doped antiperovskite compounds Ga_1−xZn_xCMn₃ (0≤x≤0.30) have been investigated. After partial substitution of Zn for Ga, the Curie temperature increases monotonously and the ground antiferromagnetic (AFM)-ferromagnetic intermediate (FI) phase transition is gradually suppressed. With increasing the doping level x, the saturated magnetizations decreases gradually firstly for x≤0.20, then increases with increasing x. The electrical transport properties of Ga_1−xZn_xCMn₃ are studied at different magnetic fields. Enhanced giant magnetoresistance (GMR) was observed around the AFM-FI transition. With increasing x, the maximal values and peak widths of GMR increase. Particularly, for x=0.20, GMR reaches a maximum value of 75%, spanning a temperature range of 80 K at 50 kOe and displays the behavior of strongly depending on the magnetization history. The possible origins are discussed.     

Magnetic order in palladium-based Heusler alloys Part I: Pd2MnIn1−xSnx and Pd2MnSn1−xSbx

Magnetization, susceptibility, X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements have been made on the two series of alloys Pd₂MnIn_1?xSn_x and Pd₂MnSn_1?xSb_x, for 0 ? x ? 1. All were single phase and were chemically ordered intermetallic compounds with the Heusler L2₁ structure in which the Mn atoms occupy an f.c.c. sub-lattice. At all compositions the alloys were magnetically ordered with a moment of ～4.3 μ_B located at the Mn sites. At the In-rich end the magnetic order is antiferromagnetic f.c.c. type 2. As Sn is increasingly substituted for In there is a change in magnetic order first to antiferromagnetic f.c.c. type 3A and then to ferromagnetism. All the alloys in the Sn/Sb series are ferromagnetic and in both series there is an increase in the ferromagnetic exchange interactions with increasing electron concentration.     

Structure and superconductivity of Mg1−xPbxB2

A series of polycrystalline samples of Mg_1−xPb_xB₂ (0≤x≤0.10) were prepared by a solid state reaction method and their structure, superconducting transition temperature and transport properties were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and resistivity measurements. Mg_1−xPb_xB₂ compounds were shown to adopt an isostructural AlB2-type hexagonal structure in a relatively small range of lead concentration, x≤0.01. The crystalline lattice constants were evaluated and were found to exhibit slight length compression as x increases. The superconducting transition temperature (T_c) steadily decreases with Pb doping. It is suggested that the mechanism of superconductivity reduction by lead doping can be attributed to the chemical pressure effect.     

Disorder induced ferromagnetism in the Cu-doped molybdate SrMo1−xCuxO3 (0≤x≤0.20)

The effect of Cu-doping at Mo-site on structural, magnetic, electrical transport and specific heat properties in molybdates SrMo_1−xCu_xO₃ (0≤x≤0.2) has been investigated. The Cu-doping at Mo-site does not change the space group of the samples, but decreases the structural parameter a monotonously. The magnetic properties change from Pauli-paramagnetism for x=0 to exchange-enhanced Pauli-paramagnetism for x=0.05 and 0.10, and then ferromagnetism for x=0.15 and 0.20. All samples exhibit metallic-like transport behavior in the whole temperature range studied. The magnitude of resistivity increases initially to x=0.10 and then decreases with increasing Cu-doping concentration. The results are discussed according to the electron localization due to the disorder effect induced by the random distribution of Cu at Mo site in the samples. In addition, the temperature dependence of specific heat for the Cu-doped sample has also been studied.     

Bandgap engineering of Cd1−xSrxO

Structural, electronic and optical properties of Cd_1−xSr_xO (0≤x≤1) are calculated for the first time using density functional theory. Our results show that these properties are strongly dependent on x. The bond between Cd and O is partially covalent and the covalent nature of the bond decreases as the concentration of Sr increases from 0% to 100%. It is found that Cd_1−xSr_xO is an indirect bandgap compound for the entire range of x and the bandgap of the alloy increases from 0.85 to 6.00 eV with the increase in Sr concentration. Frequency dependent dielectric functions ε₁(ω), ε₂(ω), refractive index n(ω) and absorption coefficient α(ω) are also calculated and discussed in detail. The peak value of refractive indices shifts to higher energy regions with the increase in Sr. The striking feature of these alloys is that Cd_0.5Sr_0.5O is an anisotropic material. The larger value of the extraordinary refractive index confirms that the material is positive birefringence crystal. The present comprehensive theoretical study of the optoelectronic properties of the material predicts that it can be effectively used in optoelectronic applications in the wide range of spectrum; IR, visible and UV.     

A DFT study of the electronic and magnetic properties of Fe2MnSi1−xGex alloys

We performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Fe₂MnSi_1−xGe_x alloys (x=0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00). The lattice constant is found to increase linearly as a function of Ge concentration with a decrease in the formation energy. The total magnetic moment is found to be 3 μ_B for all alloys with the most contribution from Mn local magnetic moments. Iron atoms, however, exhibit much smaller spin moments about 10% of the bulk value. It seems that due to the proximity of Fe, magnetic moments have been induced on the sp atoms, which couple antiferromagnetically with Fe and Mn spin moments. Although, the band gap remains almost constant (0.5 eV), the spin–flip gap decreases as a function of x.     

Theoretical study of the electronic and magnetic properties of Co2Cr1−xVxAl

We have investigated the electronic and magnetic properties of the doped Heusler alloys Co₂Cr_1−xV_xAl(x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) using first-principles density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) scheme. The calculated results reveal that with increasing V content the lattice parameter slightly increases; both cohesive energy and bulk modulus increase with increasing x. The magnetic moment of the Co(Cr) sites increases with V doping; the total spin moment of these compounds linearly decreases. We also have performed the electronic structure calculations for Co₂Cr_1−xV_xAl with positional disorder of Co-Y(Cr,V)-type and Al-Y(Cr,V)-type. It is found that formation of Al-Y-type disorder in Co₂Cr_1−xV_xAl alloys is more favorable than that of Co-Y-type disorder. Furthermore, we found that Co₂Cr_1−xV_xAl of the L2₁-type structure have a half-metallic character. And the stability of L2₁ structure will enhance, however, the Curie temperature decreases as the V concentration increases. The disorder between Cr(V) and Al does not significantly reduce the spin polarization of the alloys Co₂Cr_1−xV_xAl.     

Ferromagnetism in amorphous Ge1−xMnx grown by low temperature vapor deposition

Magnetic properties of amorphous Ge_1−xMn_x thin films were investigated. The thin films were grown at 373 K on (100) Si wafers by using a thermal evaporator. Growth rate was ∼35 nm/min and average film thickness was around 500 nm. The electrical resistivities of Ge_1−xMn_x thin films are 5.0×10⁻⁴∼100 Ω cm at room temperature and decrease with increasing Mn concentration. Low temperature magnetization characteristics and magnetic hysteresis loops measured at various temperatures show that the amorphous Ge_1−xMn_x thin films are ferromagnetic but the ferromagnetic magnetizations are changing gradually into paramagnetic as increasing temperature. Curie temperature and saturation magnetization vary with Mn concentration. Curie temperature of the deposited films is 80-160 K, and saturation magnetization is 35-100 emu/cc at 5 K. Hall effect measurement at room temperature shows the amorphous Ge_1−xMn_x thin films have p-type carrier and hole densities are in the range from 7×10¹⁷ to 2×10²² cm⁻³.     

Magnetocaloric effect of GdCo2−xAlx compounds

The structure, magnetic property and magnetocaloric effect of GdCo_2−xAl_x (x=0, 0.06, 0.12, 0.18, 0.24, 0.4) compounds have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic measurement techniques. The experimental results show that the GdCo_2−xAl_x (x≤0.4) compounds are single phase with a Laves-phase MgCu₂-type structure. The Curie temperature T_c initially increases, and then decreases with increasing Al content. The maximum value of T_c, 418 K, is reached for the compound with x=0.06. The magnetic entropy change, which is determined from the temperature and field dependence of the magnetization by the Maxwell relation, decreases almost linearly with increasing Al content.     

Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Gd1−xScxNi2 solid solutions

Magnetic and heat capacity measurements have been carried out on the polycrystalline Gd_1−xSc_xNi₂ solid solutions (0≤x≤1), which crystallize in the cubic C15 Laves phases superstructure (space group F4?3m). These solid solutions are ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature below 76 K. Their Curie temperature decreases from 75.4 K for GdNi₂ to 13.6 K for Gd_0.2Sc_0.8Ni₂. At high temperatures, all solid solutions, except ScNi₂, are Curie-Weiss paramagnets. The Debye temperature as well as phonon, conduction electron and magnetic contributions to the heat capacity have been determined from heat capacity measurements. The magnetocaloric effect has been estimated both in terms of isothermal magnetic entropy change and adiabatic temperature change for selected solid solutions in magnetic fields up to 3 T.     

Microstructure and nanohardness of the diluted magnetic semiconducting Cd1−xMnxS nano-crystalline films

Cd_1−xMn_xS nano-crystalline films (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) were formed on glass substrates by thermal evaporation technique at room temperature (300 K). AFM studies showed that all the films were in nano-crystalline form with the grain size varying in the range between 36 and 58 nm and exhibited hexagonal structure of the host material. The lattice parameters varied linearly with composition, following Vegard's law in the entire composition range. The nanohardness and Young's modulus decreased sharply with ‘Mn’ content upto x = 0.3 and increased with high Mn content.     

Transport properties and magnetoresistance in CoNb1−xMnxSb half-Heusler alloys with a low temperature localization

The transport properties and magnetoresistance of half-Heusler CoNb_1−xMn_xSb (x=0.0-1.0) alloys have been investigated between 2 and 300 K. In this temperature range, a metallic conductivity has been observed for the alloys with higher (x=1.0) and lower (x=0.0-0.2) Mn contents. However, the middle Mn content alloys (x=0.4-0.8) exhibit non-metallic conductive behavior. Their temperature dependence of resistivity undergoes a Mott localization law ρ=ρ₀exp(T₀/T)^p (p=1/4) rather than a thermal excitation regime ρ=ρ₀exp(E_a/kT) at low temperature (). The localization can be attributed to atomic and magnetic disorder. Resistivity peaks from 25 to 300 K were also observed for these alloys. Magnetotransport investigation reveals that these resistivity peaks result from localization effect as well as spin-disorder scattering.