Magnetic structure and phase diagram of the frustrated spinel Cd1−xZnxCr2Se4

In attempt to characterise the magnetic ordering in the whole composition range of the Cd_1−xZn_xCr₂Se₄ system, various magnetic measurements were performed on both crystalline and polycrystalline samples with 0?x?1. The magnetic properties of the system are typical of a ferromagnet below x=0.4 and of a complex antiferromagnet one above x=0.6. In this work the intermediate region was carefully studied. The variations of both M(T) and χ_ac at low fields suggest that transitions from ferromagnetic to Gabay–Toulouse ferromagnetic-spin-glass mixed phase at low temperature occur in the range 0.41?x?0.58. The high-temperature susceptibility measurements show that for the whole concentration range the system obeys Curie–Weiss laws. The results can be explained by the coexistence of competing interactions (ferromagnetic between nearest neighbours and antiferromagnetic between higher order neighbours) and disorder due to the random substitution between zinc and cadmium ions in the tetrahedral sites of the spinel lattice. An experimental magnetic phase diagram of the system is established.     

Magnetic anomalies in single crystalline ErPd2Si2

Considering certain interesting features in the previously reported ¹⁶⁶Er Mössbauer effect, and neutron diffraction data on the polycrystalline form of ErPd₂Si₂ crystallizing in the ThCr₂Si₂-type tetragonal structure, we have carried out magnetic measurements (1.8–300 K) on the single crystalline form of this compound. We observe significant anisotropy in the absolute values of magnetization (indicating that the easy axis is c-axis) as well as in features due to magnetic ordering in the plot of magnetic susceptibility χ versus temperature T at low temperatures. The χ(T) data reveal that there is a pseudo-low-dimensional magnetic order setting in at 4.8 K, with a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order setting in at a lower temperature (3.8 K). A new finding in the χ(T) data is that, for H∥〈1 1 0〉 but not for H∥〈0 0 1〉, there is a broad shoulder in the range 8–20 K, indicative of the existence of magnetic correlations above 5 K as well, which could be related to the previously reported slow-relaxation-dominated Mössbauer spectra. Interestingly, the temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity is found to be isotropic; no feature due to magnetic ordering could be detected in the electrical resistivity data at low temperatures, which is attributed to magnetic Brillioun-zone boundary gap effects. The results reveal the complex nature of magnetism of this compound.     

Magnetic susceptibility of the rare earth element impurities in the IV-VI semiconductors and Curie-Weiss law

Peculiarities of applying the Curie-Weiss law to the analysis of the magnetic susceptibility of the impurities of the rare earth elements in the IV-VI crystals are examined. It is shown that the traditional approach to the determination of the paramagnetic Curie temperature of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets applied to the impurities of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic elements in the doped crystal may lead to fundamental mistakes. The results of this examination are used to analyze the high temperature magnetic susceptibility of Eu and Gd impurities in the PbTe doped crystals grown from the melt using the Bridgman method. It is established that the doping of PbTe with Eu leads to the formation of ferromagnetic inclusions and the same doping with Gd leads to the formation of antiferromagnetic inclusions in the crystal. It is shown that these inclusions are most likely the complexes based on the europium or gadolinium oxides EuO and Gd₂O₃, respectively.     

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.     

Extracting anisotropy energy barrier distributions of nanomagnetic systems from magnetization/susceptibility measurements

Anisotropy barrier distributions of single domain particle systems are an important issue in the nanomagnetism and its applications. Different methods to extract the distribution from temperature, field, or time-dependent magnetization/susceptibility are reviewed and compared. A single domain particle system is measured to test the methods.     

Possible anisotropy gap in La1.35Sr1.65Mn2O7 and La1.5Sr0.5NiO4 detected through specific heat and magnetization measurements

Magnetization and specific heat measurements, as a function of temperature, were performed on single crystals of La_1.35Sr_1.65Mn₂O₇ and La_1.5Sr_0.5NiO₄, under different applied magnetic fields (H). The specific heat in La_1.35Sr_1.65Mn₂O₇ was decreased for H=9 T parallel to the crystal c axis, compared with H=0, possibly due to a suppression of spin-wave excitations (magnons) in that ferromagnetic bilayer structure. On the other hand, the applied magnetic field had no effect in the specific heat of the antiferromagnetic La_1.5Sr_0.5NiO₄. For H=9 T and below the temperature of 4 K the specific heat data, for each crystal, was well fitted by an exponential decay law. This allowed the calculation of energy gaps around 1 meV for both compounds, in close agreement with Δ=2μ_BH for an expected energy gap in the magnon spectrum. Detailed magnetization measurements showed monotonic variations below 4 K and a steep increase close to 2 K. Both magnetization and specific heat measurements suggest the existence of an anisotropy gap in the energy spectrum of La_1.35Sr_1.65Mn₂O₇ and La_1.5Sr_0.5NiO₄.     

Ca-doping effects on N-type ferrimagnetism of NdVO3

Ca²⁺-doping effects were studied on the N-type ferrimagnet of NdVO₃. The chemical pressures by Ca²⁺-doping induced lowering of ferrimagnetic transition temperature T_c and compensation temperature θ_c, resulting in the phase transition from N- to P-type ferrimagnetic phase. In the N-phase, spontaneous magnetization M_sp becomes zero at finite temperature θ_c and in the P-phase, M_sp is positive in whole temperature range. It was revealed that NdVO₃ and Ca_0.1Nd_0.9VO₃ located in the N-phase and Ca_0.2Nd_0.8VO₃ in the P-phase. This N→P transition by the chemical pressure was discussed by the intra- and inter-sublattice exchange integrals estimated from the molecular field approximation.     

First observation of ferromagnetism and ferromagnetic domains in a liquid metal

80 Pd₂₀ alloy below the Curie temperature T_C(l)=1257 K of the liquid state. The magnetization of the undercooled liquid sample has been measured as a function of temperature using a modified Faraday balance. Below T_C(l), the magnetization of the liquid metal shows a plateau in the weak external field of μ₀H_z=5.6 mT. The effect is comparable to the behaviour of the corresponding solid phase, indicating the onset of spontaneous magnetization with ferromagnetic domains. T_C(l) is about 20 K lower than the Curie temperature of the solid phase T_C(s). Received: 24 February 1997/Accepted: 16 May 1997     

Goldstone-mode induced susceptibility-singularity extending toT c of the Heisenberg ferromagnet EuS

At internal magnetic fields much smaller than the spontaneous magnetizationM _s (T) but large compared to the weak anisotropy field,H _A 20 Oe, the internal susceptibility measured parallel toM by NMR and low frequency ac-susceptibility is observed to diverge asH ^–1/2 for temperatures up to 0.998T _c . Numerous theoretical work predicted suchH ^–1/2-singularity to arise from massless Goldstone-modes associated with the perpendicular susceptibility of a Heisenberg system. The temperature variation of the amplitude, _z ·H ^–1/2, agrees with the results of the spin-wave and more general hydrodynamic theories, while the magnitude reveals the suppression of one Goldstone polarization by the dipoledipole interaction. In contrast to a previous renormalization-group estimate, a crossover to thermal critical behavior nearT _c is not observed.     

Exchange bias in Co nanoparticles embedded in an Mn matrix

Magnetic properties of Co nanoparticles of 1.8 nm diameter embedded in Mn and Ag matrices have been studied as a function of the volume fraction (VFF). While the Co nanoparticles in the Ag matrix show superparamagnetic behavior with T_B=9.5 K (1.5% VFF) and T_B=18.5 K (8.9% VFF), the Co nanoparticles in the antiferromagnetic Mn matrix show a transition peak at ∼65 K in the ZFC/FC susceptibility measurements, and an increase of the coercive fields at low temperature with respect to the Ag matrix. Exchange bias due to the interface exchange coupling between Co particles and the antiferromagnetic Mn matrix has also been studied. The exchange bias field (H_eb), observed for all Co/Mn samples below 40 K, decreases with decreasing volume fraction and with increasing temperature and depends on the field of cooling (H_fc). Exchange bias is accompanied by an increase of coercivity.     

Magnetic phase diagram of the frustrated two-layer system ferromagnet-antiferromagnet

The thickness-roughness phase diagram of a thin ferromagnetic film on an antiferromagnetic substrate is studied in the case where the roughness of the interface between the layers causes frustration of the exchange interaction between them. It is shown that the account of single-ion anisotropy makes the phase diagram significantly more complicated in comparison with that calculated within the exchange approximation. The evolution of a new type of domain walls caused by frustrations is traced with an increase in the film thickness and the width of the atomic steps on the film-substrate interface.     

Magnetic properties of the novel nanocomposite (Zn0.15Ni0.85Fe2O4)0.15/(SiO2)0.85 at room temperature

The value of the effective magnetic anisotropy constant of the ferrimagnetic nanoparticles Zn_0.15Ni_0.85Fe₂O₄ embedded in a SiO₂ silica matrix, determined through ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), is much higher than the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant. The higher value of the anisotropy constant is due to the existence of surface anisotropy. However, even if the magnetic anisotropy is high, the ferrimagnetic nanoparticles with a 15% concentration, which are isolated in a SiO₂ matrix, display a superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior at room temperature and at a frequency of the magnetization field equal to 50 Hz. The FMR spectrum of the novel nanocomposite (Zn_0.15Ni_0.85Fe₂O₄)_0.15/(SiO₂)_0.85, recorded at room temperature and a frequency of 9.060 GHz, is observed at a resonance field (B_0r) of 0.2285 T, which is substantially lower than the field corresponding to free electron resonance (ESR) (0.3236 T). Apart from the line corresponding to the resonance of the nanoparticle system, the spectrum also contains an additional weaker line, identified for a resonance field of ∼0.12 T, which is appreciably lower than B_0r. This line was attributed to magnetic ions complex that is in a disordered structure in the layer that has an average thickness of 1.4 nm, this layer being situated on the surface of the Zn_0.15Ni_0.85Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles that have a mean magnetic diameter of 8.9 nm.     

Magnetic excitations in ferromagnetic semiconductors

Magnetic excitations in a series of GaMnAs ferromagnetic semiconductor films were studied by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). Using the FMR approach, multi-mode spin wave resonance spectra have been observed, whose analysis provides information on magnetic anisotropy (including surface anisotropy), distribution of magnetization precession within the GaMnAs film, dynamic surface spin pinning (derived from surface anisotropy), and the value of exchange stiffness constant D. These studies illustrate a combination of magnetism and semiconductor physics that is unique to magnetic semiconductors.     

Magnetic anisotropy and geometrical frustration in the Ising spin-chain system Sr5Rh4O12

A structural and thermodynamic study of the newly synthesized single crystal Sr₅Rh₄O₁₂ is reported. Sr₅Rh₄O₁₂ consists of a triangular lattice of spin chains running along the c-axis. It is antiferromagnetically ordered below 23 K with the intrachain and interchain coupling being ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM), respectively. There is strong evidence for an Ising character in the interaction and geometrical frustration that causes incomplete long-range AFM order. The isothermal magnetization exhibits two step-like transitions leading to a ferrimagnetic state at 2.4 T and a FM state at 4.8 T, respectively. Sr₅Rh₄O₁₂ is a unique frustrated spin-chain system ever found in 4d and 5d based materials without a presence of an incomplete 3d-electron shell.     

Magnetic anisotropy of Tb1−xGdxMn6Sn6 compounds

Magnetization curves of Tb_1−xGd_xMn₆Sn₆ compounds (0?x?1) have been measured for aligned powder samples in the temperature range 4.2–300 K in pulsed magnetic fields up to 30 T. Temperature and concentration dependences of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constants K₁ and K₂ and concentration dependence of the temperature of spontaneous spin-reorientation transition have been determined. Using these data, we estimated the contribution of the manganese and terbium atoms to the magnetic anisotropy of Tb_1−xGd_xMn₆Sn₆ and analyzed the origin of the appearance of field-induced first-order magnetic phase transition in these compounds.     

Magnetic structure of TbNiAl4

Magnetisation and specific heat measurements, in the range 2 K to room temperature, demonstrate that three magnetic phases exist for the intermetallic compound TbNiAl₄. Powder neutron diffraction, also carried out over a wide temperature range, establishes that the intermediate magnetic phase is incommensurate, and confirms that the lowest temperature phase has a linear antiferromagnetic structure with a (0 1 0) propagation vector. The respective transition (Néel) temperatures, in zero applied magnetic field are 34.0 and 28.0 K.     

Multimodal grain size distributions obtained from high-temperature magnetization curves: A thermodynamical approach to the role of anisotropy

Although a common technique to obtain the grain size distribution of an ensemble of magnetic nanoparticles is to fit its high-temperature magnetization to a distribution of Langevin functions, the anisotropy at temperatures close to the blocking temperature produces spurious results. This effect is justified on the basis of a power expansion of the free energy of the system.     

Influence of demagnetizing field on the permeability of soft magnetic composites

The influence of demagnetizing field on the effective permeability of magnetic composites has been investigated. A theoretical expression of the effective permeability has been obtained and discussed according to four typical composites with spheres, needles, flakes, and aligned prolate ellipsoidal particles. The results indicate that the demagnetizing field within the particles can reduce the effective permeability significantly. In order to increase the effective permeability, it is necessary to decrease the demagnetizing field within the particles. A linear relationship between effective permeability and volume fraction is also observed for composites filled with spherical particles at low volume fraction.     

Magnetic properties of the compounds ThCO2Ge2 and ThCo2Si2

Rather old preparation of the compounds ThCo₂Ge₂ and ThCo₂Si₂ and their magnetic study in the temperature range 100–570 K, published by Omejec and Ban [Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 380 (1971) 111], indicated that both compounds ordered ferrromagnetically below 100 K. In order to verify the old data, polycrystalline samples of ThCo₂Ge₂ and ThCo₂Si₂ have been prepared by arc melting and subsequent annealing, and studied by X-ray diffraction at room temperature (RT), by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)-magnetization and AC-susceptibility measurements at 2–320 K, and by dc-magnetization measurements in variable magnetic fields up to 120 kOe at 5, 80, and 283 K. The magnetic measurements confirm the ferromagnetic ordering in both compounds, but with totally different Curie temperatures: ≈120(20) K for ThCo₂Ge₂ and above 320 K for ThCo₂Si₂. The paramagnetic values of ThCo₂Ge₂ and the ordering of both compounds are discussed and compared with the old results of Omejec and Ban.     

Effects of helical anisotropy on nonlinear voltage response in amorphous wires

The nonlinear voltage response in soft magnetic amorphous wires exciting by an alternating current is studied. The frequency spectrum of the voltage in the pick-up coil wound around the wire with a helical anisotropy is found in the framework of a model based on quasi-static Stoner−Wohlfarth magnetization reversal. The effect of a deviation of the anisotropy axis from the azimuthal direction on the field dependences of amplitudes of voltage harmonics is analyzed. It is shown that the field sensitivity of even harmonics increases with the anisotropy axis deviation angle. The current amplitude range to obtain a maximal field sensitivity of the second harmonic is found. The influence of the skin effect on the frequency spectrum of the pick-up coil voltage is discussed. The results obtained may be of importance for the development of sensors of a weak magnetic field.