Specific heat of the (La,Gd) Al2 system in the superconducting and normal state

Specific heat measurements between 0.5 and 4.2°K are reported for the system ($\text{La}$, Gd) Al₂ in both the superconducting and normal state. The observed specific heat jump at the superconducting transition temperature T_c is in excellent agreement with the Abrikosov-Gor'kov (AG) theory. This is in accordance with the previously reported close correspondence of the T_c vs. Gd concentration curve with the AG theory. Two very interesting features occur in the normal state specific heat. First, the Gd impurities cause a surprisingly strong enhancement of the electronic specific heat coefficient. Second, there is a large magnetic field dependent Schottky-like anomaly at low temperatures. This anomaly persists even in the superconducting state.     

Crystal field in some light rare-earth compounds with the cubic CsC1 structure

Neutron spectroscopy experiments were performed on the cubic CsC1-type rare-earth intermetallics Pr_.25La_.75Mg, Pr_.25La_.75Zn, Nd_.25La_.75Mg and Nd_.2La_.8Zn. Crystal field parameters were deduced, but some ambiguities remain. A neutron diffraction study of PrMg is also reported : PrMg is an antiferromagnet with a moment μ_AF = 2.7 μ_B parallel to the propagation vector $\text{q}\text{= [0, 0,}\text{1}\text{2}\text{]}$ ; a strong quadratic distortion occurs in the ordered state, reaching $\text{c}\text{a}\text{? 1 = 1.4\%}$ at 4.2 K. The crystal field determinations on the four compounds are analyzed in relation to their magnetic properties.     

Jahn-Teller transition and electron-phonon interaction in Cr-doped manganites Sr0.9Ce0.1Mn1−yCryO3

Cr-doped manganites Sr_0.9Ce_0.1Mn_1−yCr_yO₃ (y=0, 0.05, and 0.10) have been systematically investigated by X-ray, magnetic, transport, and elastic properties measurements. For parent compound Sr_0.9Ce_0.1MnO₃, it undergoes a metal-insulator (M-I) transition at 318 K, which is suggested to originate from a first-order structural transition accompanied by Jahn-Teller (JT) transition. With increasing Cr doping content, the JT transition temperature decreases. The Cr doping suppresses the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state and makes the system spin-glass (SG) behavior at low temperatures. In the vicinity of JT transition temperatures, the softening of Young's modulus originating from the coupling of the orbital (quadrupolar) moment of the e_g orbital of Mn³⁺ ion to the elastic strain has been observed. The anomalous Young's modulus properties imply the electron-phonon coupling due to the JT effect may play an important role in the system.     

Neutron scattering study of the phase transition in s-triazine at high pressure

The elastic transition in s-triazine (C₃N₃H₃) from a trigonal ($\text{R}\text{3}\text{c}$) high temperature (low pressure) structure to a monoclinic (C2/c) low temperature (high pressure) phase has been investigated at pressures up to 5 kbar using neutron scattering techniques. Neutron diffraction was used to measure the pressure dependence of the order parameter and inelastic scattering to study the softening of the transverse acoustic phonon modes on three isotherms. In both cases the effect of pressure on the transition is found to be described primarily by that on the temperature of the transition.     

Magnetic structure of BaCaFe4O8-analysis of neutron diffraction measurements

The compound BaCaFe₄O₈ crystallizes in the trigonal space group P$\text{31}$m with one formula unit per unit cell with lattice constants $\text{a = 5.4059}\text{A}$ and $\text{c = 7.7023}\text{A}$ Neutron diffraction measurements carried out on a powder sample over the temperature range 300–900 K showed that the compound undergoes a magnetic transition to an antiferromagnetic state at a Néel temperature T_N = 680 ± 5 K. Analysis of the room temperature neutron diffraction pattern gave a magnetic unit cell that has the same periodicty as the crystallographic one. An antiferromagnetic model is proposed with the iron spin magnetic moments parallel to the c-axis of the unit cell. The magnetic moment of the Fe³⁺ ion was found to be (4.5 ± 0.1)μ_B     

Superconducting and normal state properties of dilute alloys of LaSn3 containing Ce impurities

The dependence of the superconducting transition temperature T_c on Ce impurity concentration and the specific heat jump at T_c as a function of T_c are reported for the system ($\text{La}$Ce)Sn₃. The experimental results are analyzed using a theory due to Kaiser concerning the effect on superconductivity of nonmagnetic localized resonant impurity states This analysis yields values for the intraatomic Coulomb repulsion parameter U_eff and the Ce local density of states at the Fermi level N_? (E_F). The results of low temperature normal state heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility measurements which give independent estimates of N_? (E_F) are also reported. A large pressure dependence of the T_c of ($\text{La}$Ce)Sn₃ alloys was observed for pressures up to 20 kbar. This behavior is similar to that previously observed in several other superconducting matrix-Ce impurity systems in which the Ce solute 4f electron shell undergoes a continuous-pressure induced demagnetization.     

Metal-nonmetal transition in solid argon-lanthanum mixtures

A continuous metal-nonmetal transition is observed in solid ArLa mixtures. The d.c. conductivity σ starts at a La atomic fraction c_La ? 0.15 with $\text{σ = 2 × 10}{}^{-2}\text{[Ω-cm]}{}^{-1}$ and increases exponentially with c_La until σ reaches the minimum metallic conductivity $\text{σ}{}_{\min }\text{= 300 ± 100[Ω-cm]}{}^{-1}$ at c_La ? 0.4. The temperature dependence of σ shows variable range hopping between localized states for c>_La ? 0.4 and metallic behaviour for $\text{c}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>La</mtext>}}\text{? 0.4.}$     

Thermal and magnetic studies of the nearly one-dimensional antiferromagnetic system CsNiBr3

Magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and ¹³³Cs magnetic resonance measurements in a single crystal of CsNiBr₃ are reported. The data reveal two magnetic transitions separating the paramagnetic phase from the antiferromagnetic ground state. At the higher transition temperature T_N2 = (14.25 ± 0.05)K a net magnetic moment is observed only along the hexagonal c-axis, while only below the lower transition temperature T_N1 = (11.75 ± 0.05)K a perpendicular component of the magnetic moment appears also. Above T_N2 CsNiBr₃ can be described as a one-dimensional antiferromagnet with intrachain exchange interaction $\text{J}\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{B}}\text{= ?(17.0 ± 0.2)}\text{K}$ and single-ion anisotropy constant $\text{D}\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{B}}\text{? ?1.5}\text{K}$. Below T_N1, the data are consistent with the non-colinear triangular structure of the Ni²⁺ moments proposed previously for the isomorphic crystal CsNiCl₃. A reduced value of the zero-temperature susceptibility over the classical value is found and atrributed to the zero point deviations.     

Electrical transport properties of a quasi-one-dimensional Nb3Te4 single crystal

The electrical resistance of a linear chain metal Nb₃Te₄ were measured from 1.3 to 320 K. The residual resistance ratio $\text{R(300}\text{K}\text{)}\text{R(4.2}\text{K}\text{)}$ is about 3. Nb₃Te₄ shows an anomaly in the resistivity vs temperature at about 80 K, suggesting an occurrence of a charge-density-wave transition. The transverse and longitudinal magnetoresistance at 4.2 K are proportional to the magnetic field in the range of 2–58 kOe. In the superconducting region close to the transition temperature T_c, the critical magnetic field H_c2 is proportional to δT=T_c?T. The angular dependence of H_c2 fits well with the fluxoid model of the Ginzburg-Landau theory. The ratio of the critical fields parallel and perpendicular to the chain direction is 4.8.     

The superconducting transition temperature of bulk samples of the niobium-germanium A15-phase after implantation of Ge,Si, O and Ar ions

Bulk material of Nb₃ (Ge_0.8Nb_0.2) with A15 structure and a superconducting transition temperature T_c of 6.5 K has been implanted with Ge, Si, Ar and O ions and subsequently annealed at high temperatures. After annealing between 700 and 750°C the Ge implanted samples showed a strong increase in T_c up to 16.2 K. With Si ions only a T_c of 13 K was obtained, with Ar and O ions T_c remained below 9 K. From X-ray measurements carried out on high T_c Ge implanted samples it could be concluded that the implanted surface layer grows up to a high degree epitaxially on the single crystallites of the bulk material. The lattice constant $\text{a}$₀ of the implanted film was reduced by 0.02 Å with respect to the bulk material. This reduction in $\text{a}$₀ is stronger than expected from the transition temperature of the implanted surface layer.     

Elastic constants of single crystals of the three phases of In---Pb alloys

In a study of the elastic behaviour of the InPb alloys, the elastic stiffness tensor components of crystals of each of the three phases (fct, $\text{c}\text{a}\text{> 1}$; fct, $\text{c}\text{a}\text{> 1}$; fcc) have been obtained as a function of temperature from pulse superposition measurements of ultrasonic wave velocities. Comparison of the elastic stiffness constants obtained for a fct ($\text{c}\text{a}\text{> 1}$) 5 atm.% Pb alloy with those of In itself and those of InTl and InCd alloys, establishes for this phase that alloying with Pb, as with TI and Cd, enhances the softening of the acoustic [110] phonon mode, polarization [1$\text{1}$0] near the Brillouin zone centre. The elastic properties of a 17 atm.% Pb crystal, which is in the fct ($\text{c}\text{a}\text{> 1}$) phase, are quite different from those shown by In alloys in the fct ($\text{c}\text{a}\text{> 1}$ phase; in particular the response to a shear stress is remarkably isotropie: there is no phonon mode softening in this alloy. Neither is there softening of this mode (which corresponds at the zone centre to the shear stiffness $\text{1}\text{2}$(C₁₁;C₁₂)) in crystals of the fee phase — in complete contrast to the dominating influence of the softening of $\text{1}\text{2}$(C₁₁;C₁₂) in the InTl and InCd fee alloys. In fact for a fcc In-75 atm.% Pb alloy the anistropy ratio for shear $\text{2C}{}_{44}\text{(C}{}_{11}\text{C}{}_{12}\text{)}$ is close to unity. The transitions between the three phases of the InPb alloys are markedly first order and acoustic mode softening has a much smaller influence on the elastic behaviour of the fct ($\text{c}\text{a}\text{< 1}$) and fcc InPb alloys than it has on the fct ($\text{c}\text{a}\text{< 1}$) InPb, InCd and InTl alloys.     

The cooperative Jahn-Teller effect in uranium (4+) hydroxy-sulphate

The magnetic susceptibility measurements of orthorhombic U(OH)₂SO₄ within the temperature range 4.2–300 K have revealed a magnetic anomaly at T_D = 21 K associated with crystallographic transition induced by the cooperative Jahn-Teller effect. Above 21 K the magnetic susceptibility of the uranium (4+) ion corresponds to the electronic ground doublet ${}_{\mathrm{¡}}\text{M}{}_{\mathrm{J}}\text{= ± 2〉}$ confirming thus the antiprismatic symmetry (D_4d) of the crystal field at the uranium site. Below T_D the system of two singlets ($\text{1}\text{√2}$)|2〉 ± ($\text{1}\text{√2}$)|$\text{2}$〉 separated by δ(T) is the ground state of the uranium ion.     

Evolution of the modulated antiferromagnetic structure of CeAl2 in the presence of nonmagnetic impurities

Neutron diffraction studies show that the alloy system Ce_1-xLa_xAl₂ with x = 0.1 and 0.2 orders in the same incommensurate modulated antiferromagnetic structure as the pure compound CeAl₂. The existence and concentration dependence of a commensurate extra reflection ($\text{5}\text{2}$$\text{3}\text{2}$$\text{1}\text{2}$) is interpreted as being due to a modulation quenching of the CeAl₂ structure. This is in contrast to the suggestion that the magnetic order of CeAl₂ can be described by a triple-q structure.     

Mode softening and the elastic constants of CeSn3

The transverse and longitudinal acoustic velocities have been measured in the [100] and [111] directions of CeSn₃ as a function of temperature for 4.2 ≤ T ≤ 290 K. The elastic constants c₄₄ and $\text{1}\text{2}\text{(c}{}_{11}\text{?c}{}_{12}\text{)}$ increase smoothly with decreasing temperature and become temperature independent below 10 K but the bulk modulus has a 2% decrease at 135 K which is indicative of an electronically driven mode softening.     

Estimates of the s-d interaction in CdCr from superconducting transition temperature and magnetic susceptibility

Cr has a well developed magnetic moment in a Cd host and the superconducting transition temperature, T_c, is strongly depressed. We estimate a spin, S = 1.5 leading to a depression rate - $\text{dT}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{dc}\text{= 140 K/at.\%}$. The s-d interaction strength is estimated to 0.5–0.7 eV leading to a Kondo temperature in the milliKelvin range.     

Softening of surface phonons in the (100) plane of Nb3Sn

The propagation of the surface acoustic mode in the (001) plane is investigated as a function of the temperature dependent elastic moduli of Nb₃Sn in the cubic phase. For the [100] and [110]-directions a softening of the surface mode velocity ν_s is found to follow the softening of the velocity ν_T2 of the bulk shear mode T₂A. It is shown that for the [100]-direction the ratio $\text{(}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{s}}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{T2}}\text{)}$ tends to ?2 at the structural phase transition. The question is discussed of whether the softening of the surface mode can be observed with Brillouin scattering from opaque surfaces.     

Attenuation of longitudinal ultrasonic wave near the diffuse phase transition in CdF2

The attenuation of a longitudinal ultrasonic wave propagating in the [111] direction in CdF₂ is studied as function of temperature from 300K to 1030K. An ultrasonic attenuation peak has been observed for the first time near 983K. This peak is used to define the diffuse transition temperature (T_c = 983K) in CdF₂ which is well below its melting temperature of 1372K. The Arrhenius activation energy of anion motion above T_c was obtained from the temperature dependence of the attenuation and the theory of the dynamics of the coupled crystalline-cage-charged-liquid fluctuations. The elastic constant, $\text{C}{}_{11}\text{+2}\text{C}{}_{12}\text{+4}\text{C}{}_{44}\text{)}\text{3}$, measured simulataneously with the ultrasonic attenuation displays a large decrease near 983K in addition to the nearly linear decrease in the elastic constant with temperature.     

Critical field and specific heat of the anisotropic superconductor Nb3S4

We report on the first measurements of the critical field B_c2 and the specific heat of Nb₃S₄, which is a linear structured compound with a superconducting transition temperature of 3.65 K. The angular dependence of B_c2 is well described by the effective-mass model. The ratio of the critical fields parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis gives a value of 4.6. The small value of the specific heat jump at $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{(}\text{Δc}\text{γT}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{= 0.95)}$ can be explained with an anisotropic gap function.     

Ultrasound studies of single crystal thulium in an applied magnetic field

The paper reports the first measurements of the single crystal elastic constants of the heavy rare earth metal thulium as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The constants were obtained from ultrasonic velocity measurements over a temperature range of 4.2–296 K and in applied magnetic fields of up to 5 T. The elastic constants; C₁₁, C₃₃, C₄₄ and C₆₆=(C₁₁–C₁₂)/2 were determined from the ultrasonic velocities. Anomalies in the elastic constants were observed at 58 K from the c-axis propagated shear wave measurements and at 55 K from the c-axis propagated longitudinal wave measurements. Significant softening of the elastic constants C₃₃ and C₄₄ was observed close to T_N. Application of a magnetic field (>2 T) along the c-axis direction induced further softening of the material. Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) were also employed in addition to conventional piezoelectric quartz transducers. A marked increase in the EMATs acoustic coupling efficiency (generation and detection efficiency) occurred close to T_N.     

Resistivity variation near the critical temperature in some Ni-Fe base amorphous alloys

Accurate measurements of the electrical resistivity of three Ni_80?xFe_xP₁₄B₆ alloys (with x=10, 20 and 30) were performed in the temperature interval 1.5–500 K. Resistivity (ρ) and dρ/dT behaviours near T_c for the alloys with different x values are mutually very different. In particular $\text{dρ}\text{dT}$ variation near T_c for the alloys with x=10 and 20 is Ornstein-Zernicke like while for the alloy with x=30 is of more usual energy like type. A tentative explanation of this behaviour in terms of the influence of the percolation limit on the nature of the magnetic transition is offered.