Critical behaviour of a uniaxial ferromagnet,ErCl3·6H2O with predominant dipolar interactions

The parallel magnetic susceptibility χ of a uniaxial ferromagnet ErCl₃·6H₂O has been measured between 0.3 and 4.2K and specially near T_c = 0.353 K. The predominant contribution to the Curie-Weiss temperature is due to the dipolar interactions. χ is proportional to ?^?γ with $\text{? =}\text{T}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{?1}$ in the range 10^?3 < ? < 5 × 10^?2. The γ value, γ = 1.01 ±0.03 is consistent with the theoretical prediction for a uniaxial dipolar ferromagnet.     

Das kritische magnetische Verhalten von EuO

Mössbauer effect and magnetization measurements were employed in order to study the static and especially the dynamic magnetic properties of the nearly Heisenberg ferromagnet EuO near its Curie temperature,T _c=69.2 °K. The critical exponent β of the spontaneous magnetization was determined to be β=0.34±0.02. It was shown that critical slowing down of spin fluctuations takes place nearT _c with spin relaxation times between 7×10^?11 sec (T=1.01T _c) and 1.5×10^?1 sec (T=1.03T _c). The experimental values of the relaxation time were found to be in satisfactory agreement with theoretically computed ones. Just belowT _c the Mössbauer spectra exhibit relaxation effects, which are characteristic for the occurence of critical super-paramagnetism. Investigations of several samples indicated quantitatively, that critical superparamagnetism has its origin in the non ideal composition of the real crystal.     

Thin films of molecule-based charge transfer complex cobalt tetracyanoethylene: In situ X-ray photoemission study

Thin films of molecule-based charge transfer magnet, cobalt tetracyanoethylene [Co(TCNE)_x, x ~ 2] consisting of the transition metal Co, and an organic molecule viz. tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) have been deposited by using physical vapor deposition method under ultra-high vacuum conditions at room temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique has been used extensively to investigate the electronic properties of the Co(TCNE)_x thin films. The XPS measurements show that the prepared Co(TCNE)_x films are clean, and oxygen free. The stoichiometries of the films, based on atomic sensitive factors, are obtained, and yields a ~ 1:2 ratio between metal Co and TCNE for all films. Interestingly, the positive shift of binding energy position for Co(2p), and negative shifts for C(1s) and N(1s) peaks suggest a charge-transfer from Co to TCNE, and cobalt is assigned to its Co(II) valence state. In the valence band investigation, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of Co(TCNE)_x is found to be at ~ 2.4 eV with respect to the Fermi level, and it is derived either from the TCNE^? singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) or Co(3d) states. The peaks located at ~ 6.8 eV and ~ 8.8 eV are due to TCNE derived electronic states. The obtained core level and valence band results of Co(TCNE)_x, films are compared with those of V(TCNE)_x thin film magnet: a well known system of M(TCNE)_x type of organic magnet, and important points regarding their electronic properties have been brought out.     

Effect of γ irradiation on the structural and thermal properties of [N(C2H5)4]2ZnBr4 in the vicinity of a first-order phase transition

The unit cell parameters a and c of nonirradiated [N(C₂H₅)₄]₂ZnBr₄ crystals in the temperature region 90–300 K and of samples irradiated with γ rays to doses of 10⁶ and 5 × 10⁶ R in the 270-to 300-K interval were measured using x-ray diffraction. The data obtained were used to derive the thermal expansion coefficients α_a and α_c. It is shown that the parameter a increases and the parameter c decreases with increasing temperature. In the vicinity of the phase transition (PT) at T = 285 K, the temperature dependences of a(T) and c(T) reveal anomalies in the form of jumps and the α_a(T) and α_c(T) curves have a maximum and a minimum, respectively. The heat capacity of nonirradiated and irradiated [N(C₂H₅)₄]₂ZnBr₄ samples was measured by adiabatic calorimetry. A maximum was found in the C _p(T) curve at T = 285 K. Both x-ray diffraction and heat capacity measurements showed that the PT temperature decreased after γ irradiation.     

Effects of low temperature irradiation with heavy ions on superconductor niobium

To study the effects of heavy ion irradiation at low temperature on type II superconductor Nb, the transition temperatureT _c , the normal state residual resistivityρ _B , the transition widthΔT _ph using oxygen ions of 25 MeV and subsequent thermal annealing were measured. The samples were held at temperatures <20 K during irradiation in a cryostat for in situ measurements. The maximum oxygen fluence was about 2·10¹⁵ cm^?2 corresponding a relatively high defect concentration. The heavy ion irradiation experiments are described. The critical temperatureT _c decreases with increasing residual resistivityρ _B . In agreement with the theory and experiments, the gap anisotropy parameter is 〈a ²〉=0.008, subsequent annealing shows a hysteresis ofT _c versusρ _B . The resistivity saturation value Δρ_BS = 2.55 μΩ cm was obtained and different recovery stages were found. Significant broadening of transition width during irradiation was observed.T _c andΔT _ph anneal to 60% in the temperature interval of (60–90) K. Oxygen induced effects as a simulation method of high neutron damage are compared with irradiation measurements using neutrons and deuterons.     

Antiferromagnetic resonance in α-RbMnCl3 · 2H2O

Antiferromagnetic resonance results on α-RbMnCl₃ · 2H₂O below the Néel temperature 4.56 K are reported. At T = 1.2K we find for the anisotropy fields H^c = 440 Oe and H^a = 1510 Oe. The spin flop field at T = 1.2K is 14.62 kOe.     

Vortex structure and anisotropy of electric resistance in Bi2Sr1.65La0.35CuO6 + δ single crystals

The vortex structure of Bi₂Sr_1.65La_0.35CuO_6+δ single crystals in tilted magnetic fields has been studied by the decoration method. From the observed pattern of vortex chains in the basal plane, the parameter of anisotropy in the superconducting state has been estimated as γ_S = 460 ± 40. The electric resistance of Bi₂Sr_1.65La_0.35CuO_6+δ single crystals has been studied in a broad range of temperatures (T _c < T < 300 K) and magnetic fields (up to 16 T). The ratio of resistivities in the direction perpendicular to the basal plane and in plane near the critical temperature T _c amounted to ρ⊥/ρ‖ = 3.2 × 10⁵. A possible relationship between the anisotropy in the normal and superconducting states is discussed.     

Crystallographic and dynamic characteristics of K<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Rb<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>TiOPO<Subscript>4</Subscript> solid solutions in the low-temperature ranges

The unit cell parameters a and c of K_{1 ? x} Rb _x TiOPO₄ (x= 0, 0.3, and 0.5) crystals are investigated using x-ray diffraction in the temperature range 90–320 K. The thermal expansion coefficients along the principal crystallographic axes of the crystals are determined from the obtained temperature dependences of the unit cell parameters. It is found that the parameter a increases with increasing temperature, while the parameter c decreases. For the crystals under investigation, the elastic moduli c ₁₁ and c ₃₃ along the [100] and [001] directions are determined by the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique in the temperature range 100–350 K. It is shown that c ₃₃ > c ₁₁. The anomalies revealed in the temperature dependences of the crystallographic and dynamic characteristics of the samples at a temperature T ≈ 280 K indicate the occurrence of a phase transition. The temperature of the phase transition is found to increase with increasing rubidium content x.     

Influence of anisotropic fluctuations on the electrical resistivity in uniaxial ferromagnetic metals near Tc

The generalized Ornstein-Zernike correlation function appropriate to a uniaxial ferromagnet is applied to study the influence of anisotropic fluctuations on the electrical resistivity in uniaxial ferromagnetic metals near T_c. It is shown that both the anisotropic fluctuations and the Fermi surface anisotropy contribute on the same footing to an anisotropy of the spin-fluctuation resistivity. The results are consistent with those obtained for the isotropic system in the same approximation and may be useful for interpreting recent spin-fluctuation resistivity data obtained experimentally for uniaxial systems.     

Magnetic Excitations and the Curie Temperature of Decamethylchromocenium Tetracyanoethylenide

We describe the molecular ferromagnet decamethylchromocenium tetracyanoethanide [C_rC_p2^*] [TCNE] by a quasi-one-dimensional alternating-spin model with ferromagnetic exchange interaction. The spin-wave theory is used to discuss the magnetic excitation of the molecular ferromagnet. We obtain the magnetizations corresponding to different external magnetic fields without interchain exchange interaction which is consistent with the experimental results. The formula of the Curie temperature T_c is obtained by using the thermodynamic Green's function method. It is found to be related to the spin of donors, to the intrachain exchange interaction and to the spatial anisotropic parameter. The result obtained by this T_c formula is consistent with the experimental result T_c = 3.6 K for [C_rC_p2^*][TCNE].     

Two-dimensional critical behaviour in antiferrodistortive Al ur6(CIO4)3 and Ga ur6(ClO4)3

Critical behaviour with dimensionality d = 2 has been observed for the 300 K antiferrodistortive phase transition in Al ur₆(ClO₄)₃ and Ga ur₆(ClO₄)₃ by means of the temperature dependence of the ESR parameter D. The systems exhibited d = 2 behaviour in the static critical behaviour for T<T_c?40 K for T>T_c + 40 K. From the ESR data including line width measurements the local order parameter relaxation rate ω₁ has been obtained for various temperatures above T_c, with a lowest value of ω₁ = 150 MHz at T_c + 15 K     

Magnetization behaviour of DyAl2 single crystals

We report the theoretical interpretation of the magnetization and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of ferromagnetic DyAl₂ single crystals between 4.2 and 60 K and magnetic fields up to 15 T. Good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained by using three temperature independent parameters: the two crystal field parameters B₄ = (?0.50 ± 0.05) × 10^?4 meV, B₆ = ? (0.51 ± 0.05) × 10^?6 meV and the Curie temperature T_c = (62 ± 2) K.     

Angular dependence of the upper critical field in Bi2Sr2CuO6+δ

The angular dependence of the upper critical magnetic field was investigated in a wide range of temperatures in very high-quality Bi₂Sr₂CuO_6+δ single crystals with critical temperature T _c (midpoint) ? 9 K in magnetic fields up to 28 T. Although the typical value of the normal state resistivity ratio ρ_c/ρ_ab≈10⁴, the anisotropy ratio H _c2∥ab/H _c2⊥ab of the upper critical fields is much smaller and shows an unexpected temperature dependence. A model based on strong anisotropy and small transparency between superconducting layers is proposed.     

Thermal expansion op NbSe2 and TaS2

The lattice parameters a₀ and c₀ of the hexagonal 2H polytype of NbSe₂; have been measured over the temperature range 156–478 K for a₀, and 138–482 K for c₀. The lattice parameter c₀ of the hexagonal 2H polytype of TaS₂ has been measured between 151 and 472 K. The lattice parameters a₀ and c₀ for the octahedral 1T polytype of TaS₂ been measured between 165 and 488 K. Over these temperature ranges, the following average coefficients of thermal expansion have been measured; 2H-NbSe₂, 6.6 × 10^?6K^?1 along the a-axis, 19.9 × 10^?6 K^?1 along the c-axis; 2H-TaS₂, 15.6 × 10^?6 K^?1 along the c-axis; IT-TaS₂, 12.7 × 10^?6 K^?1 along the c-axis. The parameter c₀ of 1T-TaS₂ undergoes two transitions which may be explained in terms of charge density waves.     

Crystal structure and structural transition caused by charge-transfer phase transition for iron mixed-valence complex (n-C3H7)4N[FeFe(dto)3] (dto=C2O2S2)

(n-C₃H₇)₄N[Fe^IIFe^III(dto)₃] shows a new type of first order phase transition called charge-transfer phase transition around 120 K, where the charge transfer between Fe^II and Fe^III occurs reversibly. Recently, we have succeeded in obtaining single crystals of the title complex and determined the crystal structure at room temperature. Crystal data: space group P6₃, Z=2. Moreover, we have investigated the structural transition caused by the charge-transfer phase transition by means of powder X-ray diffraction measurement. When the temperature is decreased, the a-axis, which corresponds to the hexagonal ring size in two-dimensional honeycomb network structure of [Fe^IIFe^III(dto)₃]_∞, contracts by 0.1 Å at the charge-transfer transition temperature (T_CT), while the c-axis, perpendicular to the honeycomb network layer, elongates by 0.1 Å at T_CT. Consequently, when the temperature is decreased, the unit cell volume decreases without noticeable anomaly around T_CT, which is responsible for the quite small vibrational contribution to the entropy change, compared with usual spin crossover transition. Thus, the charge-transfer phase transition around 120 K for (n-C₃H₇)₄N[Fe^IIFe^III(dto)₃] is regarded as spin entropy driven phase transition.     

Magnetoresistance of Sc3In

The magnetoresistance of the weak itinerant-electron ferromagnet Sc₃In was measured from 1.5 to 40 K in magnetic fields up to 14 T. The measurements were made on three samples containing 24.1, 24.3 and 24.4 at% In with Curie temperatures at H = 0 of T_c(0) = 5.5, 6.0 and 6.3 K, respectively. By assuming that the characteristic spin-fluctuation temperature is equal to T_c(0), the negative magnetoresistance in Sc₃In was systematically and reasonably analyzed in terms of the quenching of spin fluctuations by magnetic fields.     

Decoupling of the order-disorder and displacive contributions to the phase transition in NH4H(ClH2CCOO)2

The effects of hydrostatic pressure and substitution of Rb⁺for the ammonium cations on the ferroelectric phase transition temperature in NH₄H(ClH₂CCOO)₂ have been studied by electric permittivity measurements. The transition temperature (T_c) decreases with increasing pressure up to 800 MPa and the pressure coefficient dT_c/dp=−1.4×10⁻² [K/MPa] has been experimentally determined. The substitution of Rb⁺ for the ammonium cations has been shown to considerably lower the ferroelectric phase transition temperature T_c. In mixed crystals, additional electric permittivity anomaly has been clearly evidenced. The results are discussed assuming a model, which combines polarizability effects, related to the heavy ion units, with the pseudo-spin tunnelling.     

The proximity effect for weak itinerant ferromagnets

The Curie temperature T_c of a proximity sample composed of a thin film of a weak itinerant ferromagnet of thickness d_f in contact with a thick film of an enhanced parmagnetic metal is calculated using the Hubbard model in the Hartree-Fock approximation. The sample is paramagnetic for values of d_f less than a critical thickness d_f⁰ of the order of the coherence length. The shape of the curve of T_c vs. d_f for d_f > d_f⁰ depends on whether the bulk ferromagnet exhibits a Curie-Weiss or a Pauli susceptibility above the bulk Curie temperature. The letter is concluded by comments on the experimental situation.     

Temperature dependence of the diffuse streak system in K2SnCl6

We have investigated the system of diffuse streaks in K₂SnCl₆ single crystals in the temperature interval from 4 to 640 K by the photographic registration of the scattered neutron intensity. The streak intensity decreases from T_{c¹ = 261 K} with increasing as well as with In the region of the phase transition at T_{c¹ = 261 K} and T_{c² = 255 K} the intensity decreases with falling temperature to one third. The high temperature behaviour is explained by a soft A_2g librational mode. Below T_{c² = 255 K} the intensity is proportional to ΔT. The streaks are detectable down to 230 K.     

Temperature dependence of magnetic anisotropy constant in cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

The temperature dependence of the effective magnetic anisotropy constant K(T) of CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles is obtained based on the SQUID magnetometry measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The variation of the blocking temperature T_B as a function of particle radius r is first determined by associating the particle size distribution and the anisotropy energy barrier distribution deduced from the hysteresis curve and the magnetization decay curve, respectively. Finally, the magnetic anisotropy constant at each temperature is calculated from the relation between r and T_B. The resultant effective magnetic anisotropy constant K(T) decreases markedly with increasing temperature from 1.1×10⁷ J/m³ at 5 K to 0.6×10⁵ J/m³ at 280 K. The attempt time τ₀ is also determined to be 6.1×10⁻¹² s which together with the K(T) best explains the temperature dependence of superparamagnetic fraction in Mössbauer spectra.