Uncovering the universality of critical phenomenon in a ferromagnet Gd5Si4 prepared under high pressure

Abstract

Manipulation of phase transition is of great interest not only because it can enhance the application ability of accompanying physical effects, but also because it allows us to uncover the physical connotations near the critical temperature point. In this work, we systematically examine the influence of high-pressure annealing (HPA) on critical phenomena in Gd5Si4 ferromagnet. A second-order magnetic phase transition is determined in the annealed sample under 3 GPa with a reduced Curie temperature. Various techniques including modified Arrott plot, Kouvel-Fisher method, and critical isotherm analysis are adopted to calculate critical exponents β, γ, and δ of HPA compound. Using the obtained parameters, we employ the renormalization group theory to calculate the spin exchange range, which satisfies J(r) ∼ r−4.454, exhibiting a longer-range-ordered ferromagnetic interaction. Our work indicates that HPA can manipulate the degree of order inside matter with a novel universality class, thus acquiring desired functionality through reasonable HPA treatment.