The pressure dependence of the lattice parameters of CrTe and CrSb

Abstract

The effect of pressure up to 150 kbar has been measured at the room temperature on the lattice parameters of CrTe and CrSb. The initial compressibilities are ( 1 a 0 )( d a dp ) = 4.1 × 10 −4 kbar −1, ( 1 c 0 )( d c d p ) = 8.4 × 10 −4 kbar −1 in CrTe (extrapolated); ( 1 a 0 )( da dp ) = 3.9 × 10 −4 kbar −1, ( 1 c 0 )( dc dp ) = 6.7 × 10 −4 kbar −1 in CrSb. The pressure dependence of the Curie temperature of CrTe was discussed in relation to interatomic distances and bonding angle, and compared with the changes of the Curie temperature by chemical substitution. CrSb exhibits an anomalous compression both in a and c axes in the pressure range from 80 to 100 kbar; c axis expands rapidly with increasing pressure while a axis contracts. The fact suggests that the second order magnetic transtion from antiferromagnetic to nonmagnetic state occurs at 100 kbar, and that the large exchange magnetostriction vanishes rapidly at the transition.