Cluster glass transition in the ternary Dy2AgIn3 system determined by neutron diffraction and Ac–Dc magnetization measurements

Abstract

The crystallographic and magnetic properties of the polycrystalline intermetallic compound Dy2AgIn3 are presented. The compound crystallizes in the hexagonal CaIn2- type structure (space groupP63/mmc). The magnetic susceptibility data reveals a Curie–Weiss (CW) law behavior above120K, with a calculated effective magnetic moment μeff=10.63±0.29μB/Dy3+and a Curie paramagnetic temperatureθp=17.5K±0.5K, demonstrating the dominance of ferromagnetic (FM) couplings in the sample. In the temperature range of 60-120Kit exhibits a Griffith’s phase like behavior. The dc field cooled (FC) and zero field cooled (ZFC) susceptibility, show field dependent irreversible phenomena belowTr~43K, and the ZFC plots present a cusp glass like maxima at31K. The irreversibility temperatureTradopts aH2/3, field dependence of de Almeida–Thouless type line which defines the stability limits in the H-T plane withTr(0)=44.5±0.5K. The ac susceptibility data shows a relative shift in freezing temperature δTf~0.048±0.004, while near the freezing temperature it exhibits a Power- Vogel-Fulcher law dependency characterized by the dynamic exponentszν=7.4, single flip time τ0=10-6sandTg=24.5±0.65K. These values suggest the formation of cluster spin-glass states (CSG). At low angles the neutron diffraction (ND) profiles display diffuse scattering of antiferromagnetic (AFM) origin which is triggered by the ~5nm- magnetic spin clusters.