On the low-temperature properties of TmCo2Ge2

In this paper low-temperature magnetic properties of TmCo₂Ge₂ are reported. The compound was investigated by means of magnetic, electrical transport, heat capacity and neutron diffraction measurements. Clear anomalies were found in all of the bulk characteristics at the onset of antiferomagnetically ordered state below 2.4 K. According to neutron diffraction data, Tm magnetic moments are aligned along the c-axis, forming the AFI-type magnetic structure. In the paramagnetic state, the specific heat reveals a distinct Schottky contribution with the total crystal field splitting of about 150 K.     

Magnetic ground state and the spin-state transitions in YBaCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5.5</Subscript>

The crystal and magnetic structure of the perovskite-like, oxygen deficient cobalt oxide YBaCo₂O_5.5 has been studied by means of neutron and X-ray diffraction in the 10–300 K temperature range. The magnetic ground state is characterized by a coexistence of two distinct antiferromagnetic phases. In the first one, the ionic moments of high-spin Co³⁺ ions in the pyramidal sites are ordered in a spiral arrangement, while octahedral sites are non-magnetic due to presence of low-spin Co³⁺ ions. The arrangement in the second phase is collinear of the G-type, with non-zero moments both in pyramidal (high-spin Co³⁺ ions) and octahedral sites (presumably a mixture of the low- and high-spin states). With increasing temperature, at 260–300 K, the system develops a gradual structural transformation, which is associated with appearance of spontaneous magnetic moment. This process is related to a thermally induced reversion of low- and high-spin states at the octahedral sites to the intermediate-spin Co³⁺ states, resulting in an insulator-metal transition at T_C ≈ T_IM ≈ 295 K.     

Nuclear magnetic order in PrF3

PrF₃ is an enhanced nuclear paramagnet for which the resonance parameters have been determined both by acoustic resonance (Al’tshuleret al., 1979 [1]) and by conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (Nielsen, 1983 [2]). In this paper, the temperature at which the nuclei of the single stable isotope¹⁴¹Pr,I=5/2, enter an ordered state is estimated to beca. 0.1 mK, smaller than the overall nuclear electric quadrupole splitting 6P/h=1.2 mK. Possible arrangements of the nuclear moments in the ordered state are discussed, together with the requirements for a neutron diffraction measurement.     

Magnetic structure of molecular magnet Fe[Fe(CN)<Subscript>6</Subscript>]·4H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O

We have studied the magnetic structure of Fe[Fe(CN)₆]·4H₂O, prepared by precipitation method, using neutron diffraction technique. Temperature dependent DC magnetization study down to 4.2 K shows that the compound undergoes from a high temperature disordered (paramagnetic) to an ordered magnetic phase transition at 22.6 K. Rietveld analysis of neutron diffraction pattern at 60 K (in its paramagnetic phase) revealed a face centred cubic structure with space group Fm3m. The structure contains three-dimensional network of straight Fe³⁺-C≡N-Fe³⁺ chains along the edges of the unit cell cube. Fe³⁺ ions occupy 4a (0, 0, 0) and 4b (1/2, 1/2, 1/2) positions. Fe³⁺(0, 0, 0) is surrounded octahedrally by six nitrogen atoms and Fe³⁺ (1/2, 1/2, 1/2) is surrounded octahedrally by six carbon atoms. Magnetic Rietveld refinement of neutron diffraction data at 11 K shows a ferromagnetic coupling between the two inequivalent Fe³⁺ sites. Refinement yielded an ordered moment of 4.4(6) and 0.8(6) μ_B per Fe ion located at (0, 0, 0) and (1/2, 1/2, 1/2), respectively. Ordered moments are found to align along the face diagonal. The observed net moment from low temperature neutron diffraction study is consistent with DC magnetization results.     

Lattice transformation in the superconductivity ZrV2 by neutron diffraction

The 120 K phase transition in ZrV₂ has been investigated for magnetic and crystallographic effects using neutron diffraction. A cubic-rhombohedral martensitic transformation was observed at 116.7 K. No local magnetic moments, either ordered or disordered, were found to exist between 5.4 K and 300 K.     

Magnetic phase transitions and iron valence in the double perovskite Sr 2 FeOsO 6

The insulating and antiferromagnetic double perovskite Sr₂FeOsO₆ has been studied by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy between 5 and 295 K. The iron atoms are essentially in the Fe^3?+? high spin $( {t_{2\mathrm{g}}{^3} e_\mathrm{g}{^2} } )$ and thus the osmium atoms in the Os $^{5+} ( {t_{2\mathrm{g}}{^3} } )$ state. Two magnetic phase transitions, which according to neutron diffraction studies occur below T _N?= 140 K and T ₂?= 67 K, give rise to magnetic hyperfine patterns, which differ considerably in the hyperfine fields and thus, in the corresponding ordered magnetic moments. The evolution of hyperfine field distributions, average values of the hyperfine fields, and magnetic moments with temperature suggests that the magnetic state formed below T _N is strongly frustrated. The frustration is released by a magneto-structural transition which below T ₂ leads to a different spin sequence along the c-direction of the tetragonal crystal structure.     

Magnetic order in RCr\mathsf{_{2}}Si\mathsf{_{2}} intermetallics

The magnetic structure and ordering temperatures of three intermetallic compounds which crystallize in the tetragonal ThCr₂Si₂ structure, TbCr₂Si₂, HoCr₂Si₂ and ErCr₂Si₂, have been determined by neutron diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and magnetization measurements. The Cr-sublattice orders anti-ferromagnetically with Néel temperatures of 758 K for TbCr₂Si₂, 718 K for HoCr₂Si₂ and 692 K for ErCr₂Si₂. Chromium atoms located at 4d crystallographic sites are aligned anti-parallel along the c-axis, with G_ZCr magnetic modes. In contrast with metallic bcc Cr, the refined room temperature value of the ordered Cr moment is anomalously large for all three compounds. No long range magnetic order of the R sublattice in TbCr₂Si₂ and HoCr₂Si₂ is observed, whilst the Er sublattice in ErCr₂Si₂ orders independently of the Cr sublattice below 2.4 K with moments ferromagnetically aligned in the basal plane.Received: 4 November 2003, Published online: 30 January 2004PACS: 75.25. + z Spin arrangements in magnetically ordered materials (including neutron and spin-polarized electron studies, synchrotron-source X-ray scattering, etc.) - 75.30.Cr Saturation moments and magnetic susceptibilities - 75.50.Ee Antiferromagnetics     

Magnetic structure of the manganites heavily doped by Fe and Cr ions

Powder neutron diffraction and magnetic studies have been performed for NdMn_0.5Fe_0.5O₃ and NdMn_0.5Cr_0.5O₃ manganites. In NdMn_0.5Cr_0.5O₃, magnetic structure has been revealed consisting of ferromagnetic and G-type antiferromagnetic components as result of a 3d-ions magnetic moments ordering. Magnetic moments of Nd-ions are parallel to the ferromagnetic component. In NdMn_0.5Fe_0.5O₃ only the antiferromagnetic G-type structure has been found whereas Nd-sublattice was not ordered. In the both compounds, magnetic moments of 3d-ions are significantly less than one can expect, what is interpreted in terms of intrinsic chemical inhomogeneity. Magnetic phase diagrams have been constructed for the Nd(Mn_1−xM_x)O₃ (M=Fe, Cr) systems, interpreted assuming superexchange interactions Mn³⁺–O–Cr³⁺ to be positive, Mn³⁺–O–Fe³⁺ negative and taking into account a disordered arrangement of Mn and Cr ions in the crystal structure sublattice as well as interplay between Jahn–Teller effect and superexchange interactions.     

The magnetic structure of U2N2Te

The magnetic structure of tetragonal U₂N₂Te has been studied by means of neutron diffraction on polycrystalline sample. A ferromagnetic alignment of the magnetic moments below 68 K has been confirmed. The best agreement between the calculated and observed intensities of the magnetic reflections has been obtained for the moment direction forming an angle 70 ± 5° to the tetragonal axis. The magnitude of the uranium ordered moment was found to be 2.50 ± 0.05 μ_B.     

Mössbauer spectroscopy on RE2Fe14BHx (RE-Y,Ce, Dy,Er) alloys

RE₂Fe₁₄B alloys and some of their hydrides have been studied through⁵⁷Fe and¹⁶¹Dy Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS). For both the paramagnetic and ordered phases a consistent and physically sound analysis of the⁵⁷Fe spectra is presented. Fe hyperfine fields and the local magnetic moments are obtained and compared with magnetic and structural data. A spin reorientation is observed for Er₂Fe₁₄B. A constant collinear structure down to 4.2 K was determined for the other samples. The¹⁶¹Dy spectra are interpreted for a pure ¦J_Z=15/2 > ground multiplet in Dy₂Fe₁₄B and its hydride. The B₂ crystal field parameters were estimated empirically for the Dy-alloy. Their values can account for the anisotropy in the compounds.     

Mössbauer studies of YBa2Cu3O7−δ-type high-T c superconductors

The local magnetic, electronic, and structural properties of (RE)Ba₂Cu₃O_7?δ supercondcutors (RE=Gd, Dy, and Eu) were studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy using the resonances of¹⁵⁵Gd,¹⁶¹Dy,¹⁵¹Eu, and⁵⁷Eu. In GdBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ, different magnetic ordering behaviors of the Gd sublattice are found for the orthorhombic (superconducting) and tetragonal (non-superconducting) phases. In DyBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ, the magnetic moments of the respective CEF ground states in the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases are derived from paramagnetic hyperfine splittings at 1.4 K. In both DyBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ and EuBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ, anomalies connected with the superconducting transitions in isomer shift, recoil-free fraction, and relaxation behavior were looked for, but not found. The electric-quadrupole splittings observed for both systems are discussed in connection with the lattice EFGs derived for the Gd system. In GdBa₂ (Cu_0.995Fe_0.005)₃O_7?δ, the local properties of the various Fe sites are investigated over a wide temperature range in both the orthorhombic and tetragonal phase. The magnetic ordering of the Gd sublattice in the orthorhombic phase and of the Cu(2) sublattice in the tetragonal phase, respectively, is monitored via the magnetic splittings at the various Fe sites. Possible assignments of Cu(1) and Cu(2) sites as well as different oxygen configurations around the substituted Fe ions are discussed.     

Transport,magnetic and thermodynamic properties of REPd2Ga3, RE = Pr,Nd, Sm

We present various investigations on the transport, magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the new ternary compounds REPd₂Ga₃ with RE = Pr, Nd, Sm. While PrPd₂Ga₃ does not show long-range magnetic order down to about 0.3 K, both NdPd₂Ga₃ and SmPd₂Ga₃ order magnetically. The latter exhibits a ferromagnetic ground state with weak ordered moments below T _c = 16.9 K and the former orders antiferromagnetically below T _N = 6.5 K with ordered Nd moments of 1.99(4) μ_B at saturation in the basal plane oriented perpendicular to the propagation vector k = [1/2, 0, 0]. The possibility of a Kondo type interaction in PrPd₂Ga₃ is discussed.     

Magnetic phase transitions and structures of Co3V 2O8

Co₃V ₂O₈ is a spin- 3/2 system on a Kagomé staircase and is known to undergo two magnetic phase transitions between 6 and 11 K. The H-T phase diagram of Co₃V ₂O₈ derived by magnetization measurements on a single crystal is presented. Additionally both ordered magnetic structures were investigated by neutron powder diffraction experiments and solved using Bertaut’s macroscopic theory. For the ferromagnetic phase the magnetic moments of the Co²⁺ ions were found to be 1.5(3)μ_B and 2.7(1)μ_B at 3.5 K along the crystallographic a axis for the (4a) and (8e) sites, respectively. The antiferromagnetic phase exhibits a magnetic cell with a doubled b axis with respect to the nuclear one. The magnetic moments point along the a axis being 1.8(2)μ_B (4a) and 1.8(1)μ_B (8e) at 8 K.     

Exciton dispersion in MnI2 and MnBr2

The line shape of some of the optical d-d transitions in MnI₂ and MnBr₂ is asymmetric and depends strongly on temperature and magnetic field strength. It is shown that these effects are due to the hopping of excitons from one Mn²⁺ ion to another. The hopping integral depends strongly on the correlation between the directions of the spins of the two ions involved. The line shape in the magnetically ordered crystals depends in a sensitive way on the type of magnetic order. We also present a simple method to calculate the line shape in crystals where the magnetic moments are not fully ordered.     

Coexistence of long range magnetic order and intervalent state of Eu in EuCu2(Si x Ge1 − x )2: Evidence from neutron diffraction and spectroscopic studies

Experimental results of the X-ray absorption spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy (isomer shift) and neutron diffraction are presented for the series of EuCu₂(Si _x Ge_{1 ? x} )₂ polycrystalline samples (0 < x < 0.75). Homogeneous intermediate valence state is established for Eu ions as well as long range magnetically ordered state at the temperatures below 10–15 K. Observation of the ordered magnetic moments at Eu site gives rise to the experimental statement for the coexistence of valence fluctuations and long range magnetic order takes place in the wide range of Ge concentrations for this substance.     

Magnetic polarization of Yb3+ by Cu2+ in Yb2BaCuO5

The magnetic properties of Yb³⁺ in Yb₂BaCuO₅ have been examined using¹⁷⁰Yb Mössbauer spectroscopy. The quadrupole and magnetic hyperfine parameters of the Yb³⁺ ground doublet at each of the two sites have been obtained. The Yb³⁺ magnetic polarization is due uniquely to couplings with the ordered Cu²⁺ moments.     

Magnetic interactions in RECu2Si2 compounds (RE = Tb-Tm)

The RKKY theory and the molecular field model including CEF effects (by Noakes and Shenoy) are applied for the explanation of magnetic interactions in the RECu₂Si₂ family (RE = Tb-Tm). The negative sign of the obtained exchange integral J_sf may point to the presence of interband mixing. The predicted magnetic anisotropy and enhancement of ordering temperatures T_N-5 above the de Gennes values are consistent with experimental ones only on the basis of the B⁰₂ model with parameter A⁰₂ as for CdCu₂Si₂. They are not consistent if one uses the full CEF Hamiltonian with 5 A^m₁ parameters as for TmCu₂Si₂. A short discussion about the role of magnetic interactions other than the simple RKKY exchange is also given.     

The antiferromagnetic structure of TbB4

The magnetic structure of the rare earth tetraboride TbB₄ (crystallographic space group P4/mbm) has been determined by neutron diffraction on a polycrystalline sample. Below the experimentally determined Néel temperature of T_N = (43±1) K TbB₄ is ordered antiferromagnetically. The data refinement yielded a magnetic moment value of (7.7 ± 0.2) μ_B/Tb ion at 4.2 K which we interpret as Tb⁴⁺. The magnetic structure is antiferromagnetic collinear with the moments perpendicular to the tetragonal axis.