Magnetic irreversibility and metastability in a CuMn alloy

Our magnetic measurements on a CuMn alloy reveal that T_m, the temperature of the susceptibility peak, is marked by a qualitative change in the magnetization-vs.-field behavior. The magnetization process at and above T_m is reversible at all fields, whereas below T_m an irreversibility sets in at a threshold field H₁ and persists up to a second threshold field H₂. The irreversibility results in an isothermal remanence whose saturation value (attained when the field removed exceeds H₂) equals the saturation value of the thermoremanence (attained after cooling from above T_m in a field larger than H₂). Both states of remenence are characterized by a magnetization which is completely reversed by a small reverse field but returns to its original polarity when the field is removed. The hysteresis loop remains thus displaced as long as the cycling field is less than H₁.     

Vortex pinning in polycrystalline Eu1.5Ce0.5Sr2Cu2NbO10 from rotational magnetic measurements

Rotational magnetization-vector measurements were carried out on a superconducting polycrystalline disk of EuCSCNO. The results at 4.2 K and low fields resemble recent results for YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (YBCO) and Ba_0.57K_0.43BiO₃ (BKBO) in revealing a broad distribution in the strength of the vortex pinning torques. This resemblance extends to higher fields, where it was found that the average pinning torque per vortex (τ_p), which is directly related to the critical current density, decreases steadily with increasing field in a manner consistent with vortex bundling. Quantitatively, however, the values of τ_p for EuCSCNO are smaller by an order of magnitude than those for YBCO but are only moderately smaller than those for BKBO. This comparison supports the notion that the vortex pinning may derive in part from deviations from oxygen stoichiometry, which are normally present in YBCO but are essentially absent in EuCSCNO and BKBO. Moreover, as in YBCO and BKBO, the τ_p in EuCSCNO at fixed field is found to diminish rapidly as the temperature rises towards T_c.     

Spin-glass-like distribution of interaction fields in a nearly ferromagnetic Ni-Cu alloy

The magnetic specific heat (C_m) of a Ni-Cu alloy of 40 at% Ni was determined from low-temperature heat capacity measurements in various magnetic fields and is shown to derive from a dilute concentration of giant-moment clusters, consistent with previous magnetization measurements. From the field and temperature dependences of C_m, it is also deduced that the distribution of interaction (exchange and anisotropy) fields experienced by the clusters extends continuously from large positive fields to large negative fields, relative to the applied field.     

Field-induced magnetic transition in a Cu-Mn spin-glass alloy

The time-independent magnetization of a Cu-Mn alloy (9 at% Mn) as an isothermal function of field is found to describe an S-shaped curve indicative of a field-induced transition. The critical field for the transition decreases to zero as the temperature is raised to that of the susceptibility cusp.     

The mictomagnetic transition in Cu-Mn

The isothermal magnetization processes in the alloy Cu₈₁Mn₁₉ are found to undergo a qualitative change, involving the sudden appearance of magnetic hysteresis, at the temperature (～ 85°K) at which the initial susceptibility has a sharp maximum.     

Magnetic properties of the intermetallic compound PrAg

The field and temperature dependences of the magnetization of PrAg are found to be those of an antiferromagnet whose Néel point is ～11°K and which undergoes a spin-flop transition at a critical field of ～5 kOe, as confirmed by high-field neutron diffraction measurements. Preliminary comparisons are made with properties calculated from crystal-field theory.