First order high-spin/low-spin phase transition induced by acoustic-phonons

A new interpretation of light-induced magnetization changes of a magnetic semiconductor, manganese arsenide (MnAs), observed by the authors of references [1,2], is proposed in this paper. Contrary to references [1,2], where the results of experiments were interpreted as the observation of light-induced phase transition, here we propose a completely different approach. It suggests that at least far from the vicinity of T _c, there are no real magnetization changes as in case of phase transition, but there are changes of the magnetic flux threading the MnAs-sample. These changes are due to non-equilibrium light-induced diamagnetic moments of quasi-free electrons of narrow d-subbands of the MnAs-conduction band. The other aspects of the experiments of [1,2] are also discussed and some similarity between this effect and the orbital diamgnetism due to persistent currents in mesoscopic structures is emphasised. Received 7 November 2000     

High-spin low-spin transition

Hyperfine Interactions - Temperature dependent nuclear inelastic-scattering (NIS) of synchrotron radiation was applied to investigate both spin states of the spin-crossover complex [Fe(tpa)(NCS)2]...     

Transition from low-spin to high-spin states in clusters of polimerized acetylacetonate of Fe3+

A study is made of Fe³⁺ iron cation groups in the temperature range 4.2–200 K and in the fields from 0 to 70 k0e. The transition temperature T_k=22 K and the critical field of transition from a low-spin state to a high-spin one H = 50 k0e have been revealed.     

Pressure-induced transition in BP

The electrical resitance of BP was measured under ultrahigh static pressures. A cusp was observed around 400 kbar in the resistance vs pressure curve, suggesting the presence of a transition to a nonmetallic state.     

Pressure-induced quantum phase transition in the spin-liquid TlCuCl3

The condensation of magnetic quasiparticles into the nonmagnetic ground state has been used to explain novel magnetic ordering phenomena observed in quantum spin systems. We present neutron scattering results across the pressure-induced quantum phase transition and for the novel ordered phase of the magnetic insulator TlCuCl3, which are consistent with the theoretically predicted two degenerate gapless Goldstone modes, similar to the low-energy spin excitations in the field-induced case. These novel experimental findings complete the field-induced Bose-Einstein condensate picture and support the recently proposed field-pressure phase diagram common for quantum spin systems with an energy gap of singlet-triplet nature.     

Pressure-induced phase transition in transition metal trifluorides

As a fundamental thermodynamic variable, pressure can alter the bonding patterns and drive phase transitions leading to the creation of new high-pressure phases with exotic properties that are inaccessible at ambient pressure. Using the swarm intelligence structural prediction method, the phase transition of TiF₃, from R—3c to the Pnma phase, was predicted at high pressure, accompanied by the destruction of TiF₆ octahedra and formation of TiF₈ square antiprismatic units. The Pnma phase of TiF₃, formed using the laser-heated diamond-anvil-cell technique was confirmed via high-pressure x-ray diffraction experiments. Furthermore, the in situ electrical measurements indicate that the newly found Pnma phase has a semiconducting character, which is also consistent with the electronic band structure calculations. Finally, it was shown that this pressure-induced phase transition is a general phenomenon in ScF₃, VF₃, CrF₃, and MnF₃, offering valuable insights into the high-pressure phases of transition metal trifluorides.     

Pressure-induced magnetic transition in MnRhAs

The magnetic properties of a Fe₂P-type intermetallic compound MnRhAs have been investigated under high pressure up to 8.0 GPa by AC susceptibility measurement. Initially, both the antiferromagnetic (AF(I)) to the canted state magnetic transition temperature T_t and the canted state to another antiferromagnetic one (AF(II)) transition temperature T_C increase with compression. At 4.0 GPa, however, T_t decreases abruptly, while the increasing rate of T_C becomes larger above this pressure. A pressure-induced magnetic phase transition was seen at around this pressure when T_t and T_C are plotted in the pressure–temperature phase diagram. The transition from the antiferromagnetic to the ferromagnetic state observed below 160 K with increasing pressure is not frequently observed.     

Pressure-induced magnetic transition in EuSe

The weak field a.c. susceptibility of EuSe was measured as functions of temperature from 1.5 to 15 K and of hydrostatic pressure up to 15 kbar. The Néel temperature did not change with pressure, and a new pressure-induced ferromagnetic phase appeared in the region above 4.6 K and above 4.5 kbar (triple point).     

Temperature dependence of the spinS=1/2 fluctuation rate and the low-spin versus high-spin transition in native chloroperoxidase

We analyzed two preparations of native, low-spin ferric chloroperoxides as a function of temperature with the following results. (i) The spin lattice transition rateW(T) is relative slow, following a power lawW=0.035 (T/K)^4.98 (rad/s) for one of the samples. (ii) The quadrupole splitting is strongly temperature dependent, dropping from ¦E _Q¦ 2.94 mm/s at 100 K to 2 mm/s at 250 K. (iii) Starting at 190 K, the low-spin heme iron in frozen adqueous solution converts reversibly to a high-spin form, reaching 40% high-spin at 250 K. The two forms appear to be in thermal equilibrium, (iv) Optical data indicate that in a 70% glycerol glass, the conversion starts at lower temperature and reaches 50% highspin at 190 K.Supported in part by GM 49513 and GM 16406.     

Pressure-induced phase transition in tysonite LaF3

We have studied the high-pressure phase stability of LaF₃ using full-potential linear augmented plane wave method. We have shown that experimentally observed orthorhombic phase is less stable compared to the theoretically predicted tetragonal structure above 25 GPa pressure. The structural transition is mainly due to the steric repulsion of ions and electrons to higher pressures.     

Pressure-induced structural phase transition in ReO3

We have investigated the pressure-induced structural phase transition in ReO₃ by neutron diffraction on a single crystal. We collected neutron diffraction intensities from the ambient and high pressure phases at P=7 kbar and refined the crystal structures. We have determined the stability of the high pressure phase as a function temperature down to T=2 K and have constructed the (P-T) phase diagram. The critical pressure is P_c=5.2 kbar at T=300 K and decreases almost linearly with decreasing temperature to become P_c=2.5 kbar at T=50 K. The phase transition is driven by the softening of the M₃ phonon mode. The high pressure phase is formed by the rigid rotation of almost undistorted ReO₆ octahedra and the Re-O-Re angle deviates from 180°. We do not see any evidence for the existence of the tetragonal (P4/mbm) intermediate pressure phase reported earlier.     

Pressure-induced phase transition of B-type Y_2O_3

The synthesized monoclinic(B-type) phase of Y_2O_3 has been investigated by in situ angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell up to 44 GPa at room temperature. A phase transition occurs from monoclinic(B-type) to hexagonal(A-type) phase at 23.5 GPa and these two phases coexist even at the highest pressure. Parameters of isothermal equation of state are V_0= 69.0(1) ~3, K_0= 159(3) GPa, K_0= 4(fixed) for the B-type phase and V_0= 67.8(2) ~3, K_0= 156(3) GPa,K'_0= 4(fixed) for the A-type phase. The structural anisotropy increases with increasing pressure for both phases.     

Pressure-induced metal-insulator transition in LaMnO3 is not of Mott-Hubbard type

Calculations employing the local density approximation combined with static and dynamical mean field theories (LDA+U and LDA+DMFT) indicate that the metal-insulator transition observed at 32 GPa in paramagnetic LaMnO3 at room temperature is not a Mott-Hubbard transition, but is caused by orbital splitting of the majority-spin eg bands. For LaMnO3 to be insulating at pressures below 32 GPa, both on-site Coulomb repulsion and Jahn-Teller distortion are needed.     

Pressure-induced structural phase transition in RbAu

Using the first principle method based on density functional theory, the structural and elastic properties calculations of RbAu have been performed. The results demonstrate that RbAu is stable in the CsCl structure (B2) at ambient pressure, which is in well agreement with the experimental results. And there exists a structural phase transition from CsCl-type structure (B2) to NaTi-type structure (B32) at the transition pressure of approximate 6 GPa. The pressure effects on the elastic properties are discussed and the elastic property calculation indicates elastic instability maybe provide phase transition driving force according to the variations relation of the elastic constant versus pressure.     

Pressure-induced phase transition of wulfenite

The in-situ high-pressure structures of wulfenite have been investigated by means of angular dispersive X-ray diffraction with diamond anvil cell and synchrotron radiation. In the pressure up to 22.9 GPa, a pressure-induced scheelite-to-fergusonite transition is observed at about 10.6 GPa. The pressure dependence for the lattice parameters of wulfenite is reported, and the axial compression coefficients Ka₀=－1.36×10^－3 GPa^－1 and Kc₀= －2.78×10^－3 GPa^－1 are given. The room-temperature isothermal bulk modulus is also obtained by fitting the P-V data using the Murnaghan equation of state.