Muon spin relaxation measurements in kagomé lattice system SrCr8Ga4O19

Dynamical spin fluctuations in SrCr_8–xGa_4+xO₁₉ a frustrated spin system on a kagomé lattice, is examined by the longitudinal field muon spin relaxation technique. This system shows a spin-glass (SG)-like cusp in the susceptibility atT _g=3.5(2) K. The slowing down of Cr spin fluctuations is found to occur over a very wide temperature rangeT _g<T<30T _g. AsT/T _g 0 these fluctuations remain without static polarization (order parameter). Such strong fluctuations belowT _g have not been observed before in a conventional SG system.     

Optical and structural properties of Zn1−x Mg x O ceramic materials

This paper reports structural, optical and cathodoluminescence characterizations of sintered Zn_1?x Mg _x O composite materials. The effects of MgO composition on these film properties have been analyzed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms that all composites are polycrystalline with prominent hexagonal wurtzite structure along two preferred orientations (002) and (101) for the crystallite growth. Above doping content x = 10 %, the formation of the hexagonal ZnMgO alloy phase and the segregation of the cubic MgO phase start. From reflectance and absorption measurements, we determined the band gap energy which tends to increase from 3.287 to 3.827 eV as the doping content increases. This widening of the optical band gap is explained by the Burstein–Moss effect which causes a significant increase of electron concentration (2.89 × 10¹⁸?5.19 × 10²⁰ cm^?3). The luminescent properties of the Zn_1?x Mg _x O pellets are studied by cathodoluminescence (CL) at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures under different electron beam excitations. At room temperature, the CL spectra of the Zn_1?x Mg _x O composites exhibit a dominant broad yellow-green light band at 2.38 eV and two ultraviolet emission peaks at 3.24 and 3.45 eV corresponding to the luminescence of the hexagonal ZnO and ZnMgO structures, respectively. For the doped ZnO samples, it reveals also new red peaks at 1.72 and 1.77 eV assigned to impurities’ emissions. However, the CL spectra recorded at 77 K show the presence of excitonic emission peaks related to recombination of free exciton (X _A), neutral donor-bound excitons (D⁰X) and their phonon replicas. The CL intensity and energy position of the green, red and ultraviolet emission peaks are found to depend strongly on the MgO doping content. The CL intensity of the UV and red emissions is more enhanced than the green light when the MgO content increases. CL imaging analysis shows that the repartition of the emitting centers in Zn_1?x Mg _x O composites is intimately connected to the film composition and surface morphology.     

Magnetic properties of superconducting EuBa2Cu3O7−x

The magnetic properties of superconducting EuBa₂Cu₃O_7–x with resistiveT _c 96.5 K are measured. The normal state magnetic susceptibility is analyzed within the framework of the Van Vleck-Frank theory, leading to the conclusion that the strong moments of the Eu³⁺ ions are uncorrelated, and do not affect the superconducting state.     

Magnetic properties and structure of Fe2 − x Mg x CrO4 chromites

The structural and magnetic properties of Fe_{2 ? x} Mg _x CrO₄ chromite synthesized by the ceramic method to receive analogs of natural minerals and to solve the rock magnetism problems are investigated. The dependences of cubic-lattice parameters and magnetic characteristics on composition, with slight deviation from linearity, are obtained. It is established in the course of experiments related to the partial thermal remanent magnetization in weak fields that some compositions are characterized by self-reversal under sample heating to 600°C in air. It is suggested that the self-reversal is caused by a nonuniform distribution of cations in chromite structure and phase transformation under oxidation.     

Magnetic resonance of the M x Mn1 ? x S compounds (M = Cu, Cr)

Cation-substituted manganese monosulfide M _x Mn_{1 ? x} S (M = Cu, Cr) has been investigated using the electron paramagnetic resonance method. The temperature and concentration dependences of the width and shape of the magnetic resonance line have been considered using the Van Vleck method of moments. It has been shown that, if the Mn²⁺ ions are substituted by the copper and chromium ions, the change of the effective exchange interaction in the system that substantially affects the magnetic resonance spectra takes place.     

μSR Study of the Unusual Magnetic Ordering in the Frustrated Antiferromagnet Zn(Cr x Ga1−x )2O4

μSR spectra on the spin frustrating spinel antiferromagnet Zn(Cr _x Ga_1−x )₂O₄ (x=0.9,1.0) have been measured. For x=1.0 compound, both the relaxation rate and the initial asymmetry showed distinct anomalies at the Néel temperature. The magnetic susceptibility for the x=0.9 compound was known to have a faint peak at around 12 K, whose origin was not clear so far. Our μSR study revealed that this temperature is the onset temperature of development of the magnetic correlation accompanied by appreciable spin fluctuations. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Magnetic and optical properties of Zn1– x Fe x O ( x = 0.05 and 0.10) diluted magnetic semiconducting nanoparticles

We have investigated the magnetic and optical properties of chemically low temperature-synthesized Zn_{1– x} Fe _x O (x = 0.05 and 0.10) diluted magnetic semiconducting nanoparticles (～7 nm). Observed magnetic behaviour of x = 0.05 samples showed that the net magnetic interaction was antiferromagnetic-like, a feature established by Curie–Weiss fit, concave Arrott–Belov–Kouvel (ABK) plots with the absence of spontaneous magnetization even at 5 K and stretched exponential-type time-dependent magnetization behaviour. Optimization of the Fe(x) dopant concentration in Zn_{1– x} Fe _x O gave the most favourable room-temperature ferromagnetism for x = 0.10, as supported by finite coercive field (～94.4 Oe) and remanent magnetization (0.011 µ_B/Fe ion) from strong hysteretic magnetization vs. magnetic-field curves at room temperature. The Curie temperature of the x = 0.10 sample was estimated at ～388 K. The existence of a room-temperature ferromagnetic phase was further established by the convex nature of the ABK plots with finite spontaneous magnetization. The observed magnetic behaviour for different x values is best explained by a magnetic polaron model.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of (Ni0.8Cu0.2)1−x Cox Mn0.02Fe1.9O4 ferrites

The effect of Co substitution on the magnetic and electrical properties of iron-deficient nickel–copper mixed ferrites containing a small quantity of manganese oxide was investigated. The presence of Co enhances the specific magnetization although the saturation magnetization falls a little due to decrement of density. The initial permeability changes linearly with the average grain size of the materials and shows fairly good thermal stability for higher Co concentration. An appreciable increment in DC resistivity along with decrement in dielectric loss factor at 100 MHz can also be obtained for higher Co concentration.     

Magnetic and Mössbauer study of Mg0.9Mn0.1Cr x Fe2−x O4 ferrites

The ferrites Mg_0.9Mn_0.1Cr _x Fe_2?x O₄ ( The ferrites Mg_0.9Mn_0.1Cr _x Fe_2−x O₄ () were prepared using the conventional double sintering method. The XRD showed that the samples maintain a single spinel cubic phase. The M?ssbauer measurements were carried out at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. From the area ratios of the A and B sites, it was found that the Fe cation population of the A and B sites decreases in proportion to Cr concentration. The contact hyperfine fields at the A and B sites were found to decrease with increasing Cr contents. This was found to be in approximate agreement with the results of magnetization measurement. The distributions of Mg and Mn cations versus Cr concentration were also determined using the M?ssbauer and magnetization results. The Curie temperatures were determined and found to agree with the reported values. As the Cr contents increases the relative magnetization, was found to increase at low temperatures and decreases at higher temperatures.     

Approximant crystals of icosahedral Mg–(Ga,Al)–Zn alloys

The zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) low-field magnetic moment m of a dense frozen ferrofluid containing Fe₅₅Co₄₅ particles of size 4.6nm in hexane exhibits irreversibility at temperatures T?T _b≈ 30?K. FC in μ ₀ H ≤ 1?T gives rise to shifted minor hysteresis loops below T _b. At T _c≈ 10?K, sharp peaks of m ^ZFC and of the ac susceptibility χ ′, a kink of the thermoremanent magnetic moment m ^TRM, a sizeable reduction of the coercive field H _c, and the appearance of a spontaneous moment m ^SFM indicate a phase transition with near mean-field critical behaviour of both m ^SFM and χ ′ . These features are explained within a core-shell model of nanoparticles, whose strongly disordered shells gradually become blocked below T _b, while their soft ferromagnetic cores couple dipolarly and become superferromagnetic (SFM) below T _c.     

Magnetic and transport properties of single crystal LnRu(2)Al(10) (Ln?=?Pr, Gd, Yb)

Single crystals of LnRu(2)Al(10) (Ln?=?Pr, Gd, Yb) have been grown using the self-flux method, their structure has been determined by single crystal x-ray diffraction, and their magnetic and electronic transport properties have been studied. LnRu(2)Al(10) are members of the Y bFe(2)Al(10) structure type with space group Cmcm. PrRu(2)Al(10) displays paramagnetic behaviour down to 13.2?K, at which temperature it enters a non-magnetic singlet ground state, with a large paramagnetic Curie-Weiss temperature of -?49.8(14)?K. GdRu(2)Al(10) orders antiferromagnetically at 15.5?K. Y bRu(2)Al(10) is a Pauli paramagnet indicating that the Yb is divalent. The properties of these three analogues are compared with LnM(2)Al(10) (M=Fe, Ru, Os).     

Magnetic and Mössbauer spectral studies of x (NiFe2O4) + (1−x)(SrFe12O19), x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 nanocomposites

Nano size composite of x(NiFe₂O₄)+(1?x)(SrFe₁₂O₁₉) were prepared using sol gel and aerosol route. The percentage of the components of NiFe₂O₄ and SrFe₁₂O₁₉ calculated from X-ray diffraction pattern using Rietveld analysis. The hysteresis loop for the as obtained samples exhibits no hysteresis, which may be attributed to super paramagnetic relaxation. The saturation magnetization do not show a significant change with the increase of strontium ferrites, however, the coercivity increased from 115 to 6,000 Oe. The Mössbauer spectra of these nano composites were discussed along with the magnetic moment and X-ray results.     

First-principles calculations of structural,electronic and thermal properties of Zn1−x Mg x S ternary alloys

Structural, electronic and thermal properties of Zn_1?x Mg _x S ternary alloys are studied by using the full potential-linearized augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW) within the density functional theory (DFT). The Wu-Cohen generalized gradient approximation (WC-GGA) is used in this approach for the exchangecorrelation potential. Moreover, the modified Becke-Johnson approximation (mBJ) is adopted for band structure calculations. The dependence of the lattice constant, bulk modulus and band gap on the composition x showed that the first exhibits a small deviation from the Vegard’s law, whereas, a marginal deviation of the second from linear concentration dependence (LCD). The bowing of the fundamental gap versus composition predicted by our calculations agrees well with the available theoretical data. The microscopic origins of the gap bowing are explained by using the approach of Zunger and co-workers. Thermal effects on some macroscopic properties of Zn_1?x Mg _x S alloys are also investigated using the quasi-harmonic Debye model, in which the phononic effects are considered. As, this is the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the thermal properties of Zn_1?x Mg _x S alloys, no other calculated results and furthermore no experimental studies are available for comparison.     

Magnetic and crystallographic properties of substituted Pr2Fe14−xMxB compounds (M = Si,Ga, CrandCu)

Structural and magnetic properties of Pr₂Fe_14−xM_xB systems (M = Si, Ga, CrandCu) are investigated. These compounds crystallize in a tetragonal system of P4₂/mnm-type for a Si content up to x = 2, Cr content up to x = 3 and for Ga and Cu concentration up to x = 1. The Curie temperature increases when Fe is substituted by Si, Ga and Cu, decreases when Fe is replaced by Cr. The saturation magnetization decreases with increasing content of an M element. The rate of the decrease is larger than that expected by a simple dilution model. The influence of M atoms on the anisotropy field is discussed.     

Microstructure, magnetic and transport properties of magnetoresistive Cu80Fe x Ni20?x (x?=?5, 10 and 15 at.%) ribbons

The generation of copper nanoparticles in an arc furnace by the evaporation/condensation method is systematically investigated. The evaporation/condensation process is advantageous because it allows direct synthesis using pure metals as starting materials avoiding reactions of expensive and potentially poisonous precursors. In the presented system, a transferred direct current arc provides the energy for evaporation of the metal target. In order to prevent an oxidation of the particles in the process, the synthesis is conducted in an atmosphere of inert gases (purity grade 5.0). The arc stability and its effect on particle synthesis are investigated. The experiments reveal excellent long-term arc stability for at least 8?h continuous operation delivering aerosols with high reproducibility (±10?% of average particle size). The influences of the arc current and length, the flow rates of the applied gases and the injection of hydrogen in the plasma zone on the particle size distributions and the agglomerate structure are studied. The produced copper nanoparticles are characterized by scanning mobility particle sizing and scanning electron microscopy. The average particle size could be well controlled in a size range 4?C50?nm by selecting appropriate operating parameters.     

Electron spin resonance study of the dynamic magnetic susceptibility of CuO, Cu1−x Zn x O, and Cu1−x Li x O single crystals

Results are presented of studies of the dynamic magnetic susceptibility of CuO, Cu_1?x Zn _x O (x ≈ 1.5%), and Cu_1?x Li _x O (x ≈ 1%) single crystals. The orientational dependence of the ESR spectra was investigated at room temperature. The results for CuO are analyzed using a model of a quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet (S = 1/2) with anisotropic exchange interaction between Cu²⁺ spins in the chains and exchange coupling between the chains allowing for one-dimensional spin diffusion and spinon excitations. The estimated line width is of the same order of magnitude as the experimental data. Substituting Cu with Zn scarcely alters the spin dynamics of the Cu²⁺ ions, as in weakly diluted magnets. Lithium doping substantially increases the ESR line width and this is attributed to excess holes forming rapidly relaxing spin complexes with copper ions.