Low-temperature anomalies in the dynamic elastic moduli of cubic AIIBVIcrystals with 3d-transition metal impurities

Abstract

A negative paramagnetic contribution to the dynamic elastic moduli is identified in AIIBVI:3d wide band-gap compounds for the first time. It appears as a paramagnetic elastic, or, briefly, paraelastic, susceptibility. These compounds are found to have a linear temperature dependence for the inverse paraelastic susceptibility. This is explained by a contribution from the diagonal matrix elements of the orbit-lattice interaction operators in the energy of the spin-orbital states of the 3d-ion as a function of applied stress (by analogy with the Curie contribution to the magnetic susceptibility). The inverse paraelastic susceptibility of AIIBVI crystals containing non-Kramers 3d-ions is found to deviate from linearity with decreasing temperature and reaches saturation. This effect is explained by a contribution from nondiagonal matrix elements (analogous to the well known van Vleck contribution to the magnetic susceptibility of paramagnets).