Phase transitions in the ferromagnetic alloys Ni2+x Mn1−x Ga

The phase diagram of the cubic ferromagnetic shape-memory alloy Ni_2+x Mn_1−x Ga is constructed theoretically for the case when the Curie temperature is close to the structural transition temperature. This diagram agrees well with the experimental data obtained from resistance and magnetic susceptibility measurements. It is shown that the transition from the paramagnetic cubic phase to the ferromagnetic tetragonal phase can be second-order or first-order. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 3, 212–216 (10 February 1998)     

Structural and magnetic phase transitions in La0.9Sr0.1MnO3

A study is made of phase transitions in doped La_0.9Sr_0.1MnO₃ compounds using combined x-ray, electrical, and magnetic measurements. Structural phase transitions are observed accompanied by a change in the cell volume at temperatures of 100–110 K and 300–340 K. These structural changes are found to be related to different contributions of the rhombic Jahn-Teller Q ₂ mode to the formation of the crystal lattice. The structural transition at 100–110 K is accompanied by distinctive magnetic and electrical properties. The data are analyzed in detail. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1064–1069 (June 1999)     

Magnetism and structural phase transitions in LiTmF4 powders

The field (0–5.5 T) and temperature (2–300 K) dependences of the magnetization of LiTmF₄ powders with particle sizes of 1 μm and 56–400 μm are investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is concluded that a transition layer exists between the thulium ions in the bulk and the ions at the surface. Two magnetic-field-induced structural phase transitions are observed at low temperatures, and the temperature dependence of the critical magnetic fields is established. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 4, 247–250 (25 August 1997)     

Magnetic and structural phase transitions in the shape-memory ferromagnetic alloys Ni2+x Mn1−x Ga

The results of an experimental investigation of the temperature dependences of the magnetic susceptibility and resistivity in the shape-memory ferromagnetic alloys Ni_2+x Mn_1−x Ga (x=0–0.20) are reported. A T−x phase diagram is constructed on the basis of these data. It is shown that partial substitution of Ni for Mn causes the temperatures of the structural (martensitic) T _M and magnetic T _C (Curie point) phase transitions to converge. In the region where T _C =T _M the transition temperature increases linearly with magnetic field in the range from 0 to 10 kOe. The kinetics of a magnetic-field-induced martensitic phase transition is investigated, and the velocities of the martensite-austenite interphase boundary during direct and reverse transitions are measured. A theoretical model is proposed and the T−x phase diagram is calculated. It is shown that there exist concentration ranges where the magnetic and martensitic transitions merge into a first-order phase transition. The theoretical results are in qualitative agreement with experiment. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 1740–1755 (May 1999)     

Magnetoresistance of HgSeS crystals at hydrostatic pressures of up to 1 GPa

Magnetoresistance (MR) of HgSe_1−x S_x crystals has been studied in the temperature range 4.2–300 K and in magnetic fields up to 12 T under hydrostatic pressures P exceeding the threshold P _t for the structural phase transition. Shubnikov-de Haas quantum oscillations in longitudinal and transverse MR were observed to occur in the original samples at T=4.2 K. For P>P _t, HgSeS crystals transferred to metastable states, which presumably incorporate the high-and low-pressure phases, and in which the oscillations vanished. At the same time the monotonic behavior of MR with magnetic field B, as well as the temperature dependences of resistivity ρ retained the shape characteristic of the original phases. The observed weakening of the dependences of ρ on B and T is attributed to an increase of the temperature independent contribution to ρ caused by phase inclusions and structural defects in the metastable states. It is the corresponding decrease of electron mobility that suppresses the oscillations. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1717–1722 (October 1997)     

Behavior of the atomic and magnetic structure of La0.35Pr0.35Ca0.30MnO3 at a metal-insulator phase transition

The evolution of the structural and magnetic properties of the CMR (colossal-magnetoresistance) compound La_0.35Pr_0.35Ca_0.30MnO₃ as the temperature changes from 10 to 293 K is investigated by means of neutron diffraction. It is shown that the changes in the transport and magnetic properties are directly related with the rearrangement of the atomic structure. A phase transition to the metallic state occurs together with simultaneous ferromagnetic ordering of the manganese moments and is accompanied by a jump in volume. The static distortions of the oxygen octahedra which are observed to occur prior to the magnetic phase transition and which are practically absent at room temperature and in the FM phase attest to the orbital ordering of oxygen atoms on the bonds, with freezing-in of the Jahn-Teller modes. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 9, 672–677 (10 May 1998)     

Effect of low-level Ge additions on the superconducting transition in PbTe:Tl

A study is reported of the effect of low-level germanium additions (∼0.01–0.1 at. %) on the parameters of the superconducting transition, viz. the critical temperature T _c, the second critical magnetic field H _c2, and in PbTe doped with 2 at. % Tl, which are derived from the dependence of the electrical resistivity of a sample on temperature (0.4–4.2 K) and magnetic field (0–1.3 T). The discontinuity revealed by experimental data is related to the onset of a Ge-induced structural phase transition. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1204–1205 (July 1998)     

Low-temperature structural phase transition in a monoclinic KDy(WO4)2 crystal

The low-temperature thermal and magnetic-resonance properties of a monoclinic KDy(WO₄)₂ single crystal are investigated. It is established that a structural phase transition takes place at T _c=6.38 K. The field dependence of the critical temperature is determined for a magnetic field oriented along the crystallographic a and c axes. The initial part of the H-T phase diagram is plotted for H∥a. The prominent features of the structural phase transition are typical of a second-order Jahn-Teller transition, which is not accompanied by any change in the symmetry of the crystal lattice in the low-temperature phase. The behavior of C(T) in a magnetic field shows that the transition goes to an antiferrodistortion phase. An anomalous increase in the relaxation time (by almost an order of magnitude) following a thermal pulse is observed at T>T _c(H), owing to the structural instability of the lattice. A theoretical model is proposed for the structural phase transition in a magnetic field, and the magnetic-field dependence of T _c is investigated for various directions of the field. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 750–758 (April 1998)     

Low-temperature electronic and magnetic transitions in the antiferromagnetic semiconductor Cr0.5Mn0.5S

Experimental-theoretical studies were carried out of the electrical and magnetic properties of the antiferromagnetic semiconductor Cr_0.5Mn_0.5S in the temperature range 4.2–300 K. A magnetic antiferromagnetic-ferrimagnetic phase transition was observed along with a semimetalsemiconductor electronic transition. Monte Carlo calculations indicate that the changes in the type of magnetic ordering and conductivity are due to the cooperative Jahn-Teller effect caused by the Cr₂₊ ions. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1660–1664 (September 1999)     

Effect of regimes of cooling in a magnetic field on the magnetization of a La0.9Sr0.1MnO3 single crystal

Magnetization measurements were performed on a lanthanum manganite La_0.9Sr_0.1MnO₃ single crystal in the temperature interval 4.2–300 K and magnetic field interval 50 Oe-55 kOe in two sample cooling regimes: 1) cooling down to 4.2 K in a high (55 kOe) magnetic field, and 2) cooling in a “zero” field. It is shown that the temperature dependences of the magnetization M(T) are substantially different in these regimes. Pronounced anomalies of M(T) were observed at temperatures T*=103 K and T _c =145 K. The first anomaly is attributed to a structural transition, while the second one corresponds to a ferromagnet-paramagnet phase transition. The magnetization of a La_0.9Sr_0.1MnO₃ single crystal in the cooling regimes studied shows typical “spin-glass” behavior. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 1, 39–43 (10 July 1998)     

Specific heat of the elpasolite Pb2MgWO6

The specific heat of Pb₂MgWO₆ has been measured in the temperature interval 83–370 K. An anomaly in the specific heat associated with the phase transition at T ₀=312.8K has been discovered. The thermodynamic parameters of the structural phase transition Fm3m-Pmcn have been determined. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1686–1688 (September 1999)     

Frozen magnetic states in quasi-two-dimensional Cr1/3−x NixTaS2 compounds with competing exchange interactions

A study of the dynamic and static magnetic susceptibility of quasi-two-dimensional, doubly intercalated compounds Cr_1/3−x Ni_xTaS₂ (0.08⩽x⩽0.23) is reported. It is shown that cooling from paramagnetic phase in this concentration range produces a spin-glass-type frozen magnetic state. In contrast to the classical 3D spin glasses, however, this state sets in within a broad temperature range rather than at a phase transition. A magnetic phase diagram of the studied compounds has been constructed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1801–1805 (October 1997)     

Features of magnetic phase transitions in iron-manganese arsenides of the type Fe a−x MnxAs (a≈1.6)

This paper discusses how temperature/pressure processing affects the cascade of magnetic phase transitions in the alloy Fe_0.5Mn_1.1As with a C38 tetragonal crystal lattice. It shows that after various temperature/pressure treatment regimes (quenching of the sample from 800 °C under pressures of 30–60 kbar) no transition to the low-temperature phase is observed, as a result of which the ferrimagnetic phase extends to liquid-nitrogen temperatures. These results are analyzed on the basis of a qualitative model that takes into account the competition of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions within and between nonequivalent crystallographic subsystems. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 889–893 (May 1997)     

Positive magnetoresistivity of Fe0.95Co0.05Ge2 single crystals inside the region of a magnetic phase transition

We report on the detection of two narrow peaks of positive magnetoresistivity in the temperature dependence of the magnetoresistivity of a Fe_0.95Co_0.05Ge₂ single crystal in the vicinity of a “smeared” first-order phase transition. The position of these peaks correlates with the position of singularities in the temperature dependence of the temperature derivative of the electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility. We show that these singularities in the transport and magnetic properties are, probably due to the presence of two percolation transitions with temperature in the magnetic subsystem of the crystal. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 690–697 (August 1997)     

Low-temperature metal-insuslator transition and magnetic properties in the VxMn1−x S disordered system

A study of the structure and electrical and magnetic properties of the V_xMn_1−x S disordered system is reported. The existence of a low-temperature metal-insulator transition for Fermi-glass 0.4<x<0.5 compositions in paramagnetic phase, which is accompanied by a change in the structure and magnetic properties, has been established. An analysis of the magnetic properties permits a conjecture that current carriers become delocalized in these solid solutions at the metal-insulator transition temperature to form small ferromagnetically ordered regions (ferrons). Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1428–1431 (August 1997)     

Magnetic ordering in the perovskites Eu1−x CaxMnO3 (0⩻x⩻0.5)

The magnetic properties of Eu_1−x Ca_xMnO₃ have been investigated. As the calcium content increased up to x=0.2, the magnetization and the blocking temperature of the magnetic moments of clusters increased and the magnetic anisotropy decreased. As the calcium content increased further, the magnetization decreased, while the “freezing” temperature of the magnetic moments increased. Anomalies of the magnetic properties were observed in compositions with x=0.4 and 0.5 at T=40 K; these anomalies are attributed to a transition to the antiferromagnetic state in the charge-ordered phase. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 117–120 (January 1997)     

Anomalies in the Young modulus at structural phase transitions in rare-earth cobaltites RBaCo<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> (R = Y,Tm-Lu)

The elastic properties of rare-earth cobaltites RBaCo₄O₇ (R = Y, Tm-Lu) have been experimentally studied in the temperature range of 80–300 K. The strong softening of the Young modulus ΔE(T)/E ₀ ≈ −(0.1–0.2) of cobaltites with Lu and Yb ions has been revealed, which is due to the instability of the crystal structure upon cooling and is accompanied by an inverse jump at the second-order structural phase transition. The softening of the Young modulus and the jump at the phase transition decrease by an order of magnitude and the transition temperature T _s and hysteresis ΔT _s increase from a compound with Lu to that with Tm. A large softening of the Young modulus at the structural transition in Lu- and Yb cobaltites indicates that the corresponding elastic constant goes to zero, whereas this constant in Tm cobaltite is not a “soft” mode of the phase transition. It has been found that the structural phase transition in Lu- and Yb cobaltites is accompanied by a large absorption maximum at the phase transition point and an additional maximum in the low-temperature phase and absorption anomalies in Tm cobaltite is an order of magnitude smaller.     

<Superscript>10</Superscript>B–<Superscript>11</Superscript>B isotope substitution and superconductivity in ZrB<Subscript>12</Subscript>

The specific heat of the ZrB₁₂ compound in the normal and superconducting states (T _C ≈ 6 K) has been studied in the 1.9–7 K temperature range for high-quality single crystals with different relative contents of boron isotopes. For Zr¹⁰B₁₂, Zr^natB₁₂, and Zr¹¹B₁₂ dodecaborides, the electron density of states and the electronphonon coupling constant, λ_e-ph ∼ 0.4, are found. The dependence of the thermodynamic and upper critical fields, as well as of the Ginzburg-Landau parameter (κ = 0.8–1.14) on temperature and isotope composition is determined. The results suggest the existence of the magnetic field induced phase transition at T* = 4–5 K, which is not related to the transition from type-I to type-II superconductivity. The possibilities of the existence of two-gap superconductivity and a structural phase transition at T* in zirconium dodecaboride are discussed.     

Electrical and magnetic properties of titanium diselenide intercalated with cobalt

This paper discusses experimental studies of the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient of the compounds Co_xTiSe₂ (0.1⩽x⩽0.5), along with the structural behavior exhibited by these compounds. For Co_0.5TiSe₂, the observed temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility is characteristic of an antiferromagnet with a Néel temperature of 510 K. The data obtained on the structural characteristics and physical properties of the intercalated phases are interpreted using a model that assumes the formation of bands of localized states near the Fermi level. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1618–1621 (Sepember 1997)     

Ferroelectric phase transition in LaBSiO5 crystals from results of thermal and dielectric measurements

The specific heat of the ceramic and the permittivity of a single-crystal sample of LaBSiO₅, a new ferroelectric in the stilwellite family, were measured in a temperature range which includes the phase transition point (T _C=140 °C). The excess entropy of the phase transition ΔS=1.05 J/mol · K and the Curie-Weiss constant C _C-W=3.2×10³ K were determined. The results indicate that the phase transition in this crystal is of a “mixed” nature and exhibits features of a displacement-type transition and an order-disorder transition. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1310–1312 (July 1998)