Cluster spin glass in concentrated alloys

Spin glass and structural states of Ni-Mn, Ni₃Mn-Ni₃V and Ni₃Mn-Ni₂Cr systems of alloys are investigated. The “freezing” temperature T _g of spin glass and Curie temperatures are obtained from the temperature dependence of the differential magnetic susceptibility χ_ac. Structural states of alloys are studied by the neutron diffraction technique. A cluster mechanism of spin glass formation is established.     

Saturation and forced volume magnetostriction of Fe-rich FeZr amorphous alloys

AC susceptibility, saturation and forced volume magnetostriction were studied on iron-rich zirconium amorphous alloys a-Fe_100-xZr_x (8 at% ≤ x ≤ 12 at%). The experimental results are discussed in relation to the re-entrant spin glass state. It is found that the transverse magnetostriction accompanies a remarkable magnetic aftereffect in the spin glass phase, and that the forced volume magnetostriction shows an apparent peak at the ferromagnet to spin glass transition where the ac susceptibility has a cusp.     

Effects of divalent alkaline earth ions on the magnetic and transport features of La0.65A0.35Mn0.95Fe0.05O3 (A = Ca, Sr, Pb, Ba) compounds

We have studied the magnetic and transport properties of Fe doped La_0.65A_0.35Mn_0.95Fe_0.05O₃ (A = Ca, Sr, Pb, Ba) manganites. All the compositions show ferromagnetic/metal to paramagnetic/insulator transition (T_C) except the Pb doped sample which is insulating and ferromagnetic (FM) in the entire temperature range. The magnetization and T_C are decreased by decreasing the cation size on La site. The transition temperature and magnetic moment at 77 K is a maximum for Sr doped sample and is decreasing if we increase or decrease the cation size from Sr size. The maximum value of T_C and magnetic moment for Sr based sample is most likely due to the closer ionic sizes of La and Sr as compared to the other dopants (Ca, Pb, and Ba). We observed a spin freezing type effect in the Pb doped sample below 120 K in resistivity, ac susceptibility and in magnetization. This suggests that the AFM interactions introduced by the Fe are most effective in the Pb doped composition leading to increased competition between the FM and AFM interactions. This FM and AFM interaction generates some degree of frustration leading to the appearance of spin glass like phase whose typical magnetic behavior is studied for small ion when the metallic like behavior is lost.     

Measurement of complex susceptibility on a metallic spin glass with broad relaxation spectrum

AC susceptibility measurements (0.625 H_z?_v?625 H_z) have been performed in a SQUID magnetometer on the amorphous metallic spin glass (Fe_0.06Ni_0.94)₇₅P₁₆B₆Al₃. The in-phase component of the susceptibility (x') shows a sharp peak at the spin glass freezing temperature T_g≈8 K with a frequency dependence of ?T_g/T_g≈0.015 per decade of frequency increase. The out-of-phase component (x″) exhibits a small anomaly at the spin glass transition with the magnitude of the anomaly almost independent of frequency. In particular we find the relation x″=(π;/2)?x'/? lnω to be valid in the vicinity of T_g. This relation and a frequency independence of x″ are fundamental characteristics of a spin glass having a broad spectrum of relaxation times. We argue that similar results from ac susceptibility measurements should be found in many spin glass systems, metallic as well as non-metallic.     

Dynamic susceptibility of reentrant Fe-rich inhomogeneous amorphous alloys

Melt-spun amorphous alloys of Fe₉₁Zr₉, Fe₉₁Zr₇B₂, Fe₉₀Zr₇B₃ and Fe₈₈Zr₈B₄ have been characterized by AC susceptibility at frequencies between 30 Hz and 10 KHz. The measurements reflect the existence of reentrant spin glass transitions below 40 K for all cases. The transition shift per frequency decade is large compared to the observed in conventional spin-glass alloys. The shift value increases with the boron content and becomes closer to values in fine-particle systems. We find that the relaxation in Fe₉₁Zr₉ follows a critical slowing down at the reentrant transition, with exponents and . The non-linear susceptibility displays a peak at the transition in this alloy, but wider than in canonical spin glasses. A Vogel-Fulcher (VF) activation process can explain the frequency variation in all the Fe-Zr-B alloys. The reduction of the ideal glass temperature in the VF approach, found in the higher Boron content alloys, is an indication of a superparamagnetic-like behavior. The behavior shown by these alloys is intermediate between a collective freezing and superparamagnetic-like relaxation. We propose that this is arising due to a heterogeneous spin structure. The inclusion of a reduced amount of B, affects the magnetic spin structure.Received: 13 May 2003, Published online: 22 September 2003PACS: 75.50.Lk Spin glasses and other random magnets - 75.50.Kj Amorphous and quasicrystalline magnetic materials - 75.40.Gb Dynamic properties (dynamic susceptibility, spin waves, spin diffusion, dynamic scaling, etc.)J.S. Garitaonandia: Present address: Dept. Física Aplicada, F. Ciencias, Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao 48080, Spain     

Amorphous magnetic alloys near critical concentration: Low field reversible dc magnetization

Measurements of the reversible magnetization at low dc fields have been used to investigate the magnetic response near the multicritical point (x_c) of two sets of amorphous alloys. In both cases, the ferromagnetic (FM) to spin glass (SG) transition line is found to be non-monotonic. The collapse of the magnetization as x→x⁺_c and the rapid increase in the susceptibility as x→x^-_c are suggestive of a percolation transition in the magnetic network at x=x_c. From a study of the non-linear susceptibility in the most concentrated spin glass alloy in each system, we obtain scaling exponents in agreement with previous reports providing further support for a thermodynamic phase transition at the spin glass temperature. For the first time we find a divergence in the linear susceptibility in these samples similar to that expected for the non-linear susceptibility and attribute it to their proximity to the FM phase. Dramatic changes in the transition temperatures and a perceptible shift in x_c are observed when normal boron is replaced by enriched boron (≈100%¹¹B) in one series of alloys.     

Frequency dependence of the AC susceptibility of a cobalt aluminosilicate glass

The frequency dependence of the ac susceptibility for an aluminosilicate glass containing 14.3 at% cobalt has been measured over six decades in frequency. A very strong frequency dependence of _χ(T) is observed both around and below the freezing temperature in contrast to the transition metal spin glasses. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.     

Mössbauer study of the invar Fe–Ni and Fe–Ni–C alloys in magnetic field

F.C.C. Fe–30.3%Ni and Fe–30.5%Ni–1.5%C (wt.%) alloys were studied by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy in external magnetic field B _ext?=?2.5, 5, 7 T parallel to the gamma-beam. It is shown that distribution of effective magnetic field in the alloys is broad and that carbon expands the range of B _eff. The external magnetic field increases B _eff in the Fe–Ni alloy and decreases it more evidently in the Fe–Ni–C alloy. Antiferromagnetic spin coupling along the ferromagnetic component is proposed to explain data.     

非晶态NbNi合金的双居里点现象

在非晶态Nb_1-xNi_x(x=0.564,0.598,0.65)合金的低场交流磁化率中,既观察到巡游电子磁性的双居里点现象,又看到x=0.598,0.65这两个样品在低温端还出现自旋玻璃冻结的典型的磁化率尖峰。在这个合金系统中巡游电子磁性和局域磁矩的表现都很明显。 关键词：     

Magnetic resonance in amorphous FexNi80-xP14B6: I. Ferromagnetic and reentrant alloys

We present a study of ferromagnetic resonance in amorphous Fe_xNi_80-xP₁₄B₆ for Fe concentrations down to that required for ferromagnetism. The resonance was studied at microwave frequencies between 10 and 35 GHz and at temperatures between 2 and 300 K. We find i) in accord with previous data on amorphous ferromagnets, each alloy investigated is magnetically inhomogeneous even in its ferromagnetic state, ii) the intrinsic relaxation parameter λ / Mγ for each alloy falls between the value for pure Fe and the value for pure Ni, iii) a low temperature linewidth rise which is frequency independent and follows an empirical form suggested earlier, iv) frequency dependent linewidth maxima at low T which do not correspond to low field spin freezing temperatures, and v) anisotropy fields intruding at low temperatures. The corresponding anisotropy energy is similar to that proposed for spin glasses as are the temperature and frequency dependences of the anisotropy constant. With part II of this paper, this represents the most complete resonance study to date of the evolution of spin glass behavior in Fe based alloys.     

The frequency dependence of the ac susceptibility of the PdMn spin glass

We have measured the frequency dependence of the ac susceptibility _X(T) for three alloys of $\text{Pd}$Mn in the spin-glass regime. A strong dependence of _X(T) on frequency is observed near and below the freezing temperature in contrast to the archetypal $\text{Cu}$Mn spin glass. We discuss possible reasons for these differences.     

Magnetic properties and magnetic interactions in chromium-rich Cr-Fe alloys

The results of magnetization measurements on several disordered b.c.c. Cr-Fe alloys with 1, 1.5, 2.4, 5.3, 12 and 14.2 at % of Fe are reported. The measurements were done in pulsed magnetic fields up to 330 kOe and for the two last alloys also in static magnetic fields up to 44 kOe as in function of temperature. The data support the recently proposed model of magnetic interactions in these alloys by Friedel and Hedman. For the alloys with iron concentration equal to and greater than 2.4 at % we observe, at low temperature, the occurence of a ferromagnetic component in the magnetization curves saturating at an external field of about 140 kOe arising from ferromagnetic iron-rich cluster. At liquid helium temperature the localized iron moments within such iron clusters increase from 1.4μ_B to 1.8μ_b when the iron concentration changes from 2.4 at % to 14.2 at %. At higher iron concentrations we observe a spin glass like transition connected with a freezing of ferromagnetic clusters at very low temperature. Both phase boundaries connected with supermagnetic-paramagnetic and superamagnetis-spin glass like transitions are given.     

Electron transport properties of Co71−xFexCr7Si8B14 (x=0, 2, 3.2, 4, 6,8 and 12 at%) amorphous alloys during devitrification

The investigation addresses the electron transport properties of Co_71−xFe_xCr₇Si₈B₁₄ (x=0, 2, 3.2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 at%) amorphous alloys. The variation in electrical resistivity of as-cast amorphous materials with thermal scanning from room temperature to 1000 K was measured. The CoFe-based alloys revealed an initial decrease in temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR), a characteristic of spin-wave phenomena in glassy metallic systems. This behaviour in the present alloys was in a sharp contrast to the Co-based amorphous materials that indicate the drop in resistivity much below room temperature. In the studied alloys, the variation in initial TCR values and the full-width at half-maxima determined from X-ray diffraction of as-quenched materials exhibited a similar trend with increasing Fe content, indicating the compositional effect of near neighbouring atoms. After the initial decrease in resistivity, all the alloys indicated a subsequent increase at T_min. The Curie temperature (T_C), which was measured from thermal variation of ac susceptibility showed non-monotonic change with Fe content. In the temperature range between T_min and T_C the relative scattering by electron-magnon and electron-phonon resulted in the non-monotonic change in Curie temperature. At crystallization onset (T_X1) all the alloys except there with X=6, showed a sharp decrease in electrical resistivity which was attributed to ordering phenomena. In contrast to this resistivity decrease, X=6 alloy exhibited a drastic increase in resistivity around T_X1 observed during amorphous to nanocrystalline transformation. Such nanocrystalline state was observed by Transmission electron microscopy.     

Probing the magnetic state by linear and non-linear ac magnetic susceptibility measurements in under-doped manganite Nd0.8Sr0.2MnO3

We have thoroughly investigated the entire magnetic states of under-doped ferromagnetic-insulating manganite Nd_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ through temperature-dependent linear and non-linear complex ac magnetic susceptibility measurements. This ferromagnetic-insulating manganite is found to have frequency-independent ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition temperature at around 140 K. At around 90 K (≈T_?) the sample shows a second frequency-dependent re-entrant magnetic transition as explored through complex ac susceptibility measurements. Non-linear ac susceptibility measurements (higher harmonics of ac susceptibility) have also been performed (with and without the superposition of a dc magnetic field) to further investigate the origin of this frequency dependence (dynamic behavior at this re-entrant magnetic transition). Divergence of 3rd harmonic of ac susceptibility in the limit of zero exciting field indicates a spin-glass-like freezing phenomena. However, large value of spin-relaxation time (τ₀=10⁻⁸ s) and small value of coercivity (∼22 Oe) obtained at low temperature (below T_?) from critical slowing down model and dc magnetic measurements, respectively, are in contrast with what generally observed in a canonical spin glass (τ₀=10⁻¹²-10⁻¹⁴ s and very large value of coercivity below freezing temperature). We have attributed our observation to the formation of finite size ferromagnetic clusters which are formed as consequence of intrinsic phase separation and undergo cluster glass-like freezing below certain temperature in this under-doped manganite. The results are supported by the electronic- and magneto-transport data.     

AC susceptibility of a cobalt aluminosilicate glass

The temperature, magnetic field, and frequency dependences of the ac susceptibility for an aluminosilicate glass containing 14.3 at% cobalt have been measured. These results show significant differences with the dc measurements in very low fields at all temperatures above and below the spin glass freezing temperature T_f.     

Reentrant spin glass behaviour in Nd0.84K0.12MnO3

Polycrystalline Nd_0.84K_0.12MnO₃ was prepared in single phase form with Pbnm space group. The magnetic properties are studied from magnetization, linear and non-linear susceptibility, and thermoremanent magnetization measurements. The sample exhibits paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition followed by low temperature spin glass like transition. From frequency variation of ac susceptibility measurements, the spin glass transition temperature is found to be 97.6±0.1 K with critical exponents zυ=1.13±0.06. The critical exponent γ corresponding to spin glass transition has been determined from the third harmonic susceptibility analysis and it is found to be 3.09±0.05. The effective number of spins blocked under frustration and their correlation length are determined from the analysis of thermoremanent magnetization.     

Amorphous SiO2-Co spin glasses

Amorphous insulating SiO₂-Co films were prepared by sputtering a Si target wrapped with Co wires in a mixed Ar-O atmosphere. A spin glass transition is observed in these films and the spin glass transition temperature increases from 7.5 to 17 K as the Co concentration increases from 10 to 26 at.%. The much lower values of the effective moment (3.8 μ_B) and of the paramagnetic Curie temperature (?20 K) for all Co concentrations as compared to those reported in Co aluminosilicates suggest a greater homogeneity in the films.     

Thermal expansion property of anomalous magnetic alloy Fe70Al30

D0₃-type Fe₇₀Al₃₀ shows a transition from ferromagnetism to spin glass with anomalous slow spin dynamics below 170 K. Furthermore, it shows a structural transition from D0₃ to body-centered cubic (BCC) at 823 K. In this article, the relationship between the magnetic properties, thermal expansion coefficient (TEC), and crystal structure transition of D0₃-type Fe₇₀Al₃₀ is discussed. Below 170 K, TEC decreases with temperature, accompanied by a decrease in the Fe moments. In the ferromagnetic state between 170 K and the Curie temperature (T_C), TEC increases gradually with temperature. Above T_C, TEC increases rapidly. These temperature variations of TEC could be connected to the high-spin/low-spin transition and thermal spin fluctuations. During transition from D0₃ to disordered BCC at 823 K, TEC shows discontinuous behavior, similar to a first-order transformation. With further increase in temperature, TEC becomes constant. This implies that the phase transition from D0₃ to disordered BCC is accompanied by a change in spin fluctuation.     

Phase transition and extended X-ray absorption fine structure of melt-spun amorphous Fe100−xYx alloys

The phase diagram and local structure of melt-spun amorphous (a-) Fe_100−xY_x (22?x?62) alloys were investigated using AC and DC magnetic and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements. The a-Fe–Y system shows reentrant spin glass (RSG) behavior for 42?x?58 and spin glass (SG) behavior for 60?x. Two SG transition temperatures, T_g and T_f, were obtained in the RSG state. The T_g, T_f and Curie temperature T_C decrease with increasing x, and the T_C and T_g vanish at x=60. A new magnetic phase diagram for the melt-spun a-Fe_100−xY_x alloys was obtained from magnetic measurements for higher Y concentration. The magnetic states of the a-Fe_100−xY_x alloys change remarkably around x=60 and an EXAFS study revealed that the average atomic distance between nearest-neighboring Fe atoms changes at approximately x=60.     

Preparation and magnetic properties of LaMnO3 + δ (0 ≤ δ ≤ 0.154)

The structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of ceramic perovskite manganites LaMnO_{3 + δ} (δ = 0–0.154) are investigated. It is found that, in a weak magnetic field (B = 2 G), the LaMnO_{3 + δ} manganite with δ = 0.065 at temperatures below the Curie temperature T _C of the paramagnet-ferromagnet phase transition has a mixed (spin glass + ferromagnet) phase. In LaMnO_{3 + δ} manganites with the parameter δ = 0.100–0.154, this phase transforms into a frustrated ferromagnetic phase. A similar transformation was observed previously in La_1?x Ca_xMnO₃ compounds at calcium contents in the range 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3. This similarity is explained by the fact that, in both materials, the Mn⁴⁺ concentration and, accordingly, the hole concentration c change equally in the concentration range from ～0.13 to 0.34 with an increase in x or δ. However, the magnetic irreversibility, the concentration dependences of the Curie temperature T _C(c) and the magnetic susceptibility X(c), and the critical behavior of the temperature dependence of the susceptibility X(T) in the vicinity of the Curie temperature T _C differ substantially for these two materials. The observed differences are associated with the distortion of the cubic perovskite structure, the decrease in the degree of lattice disorder, and a more uniform distribution of holes in the LaMnO_{3 + δ} manganites as compared to the La_{1 ? x} Ca_xMnO₃ compounds.