Complex Magnetic Structure Research Articles

Recent advances in Re-based double perovskites: Synthesis, structural characterization, physical properties, advanced applications, and theoretical studies

Recently, double perovskite (DP) oxides denoted A2B′B″O6 (A being divalent or trivalent metals, B′ and B″ being heterovalent transition metals) have been attracting much attention owing to their wide range of electrical and magnetic properties. Among them, rhenium (Re)-based DP oxides such as A2FeReO6 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) are a particularly intriguing class due to their high magnetic Curie temperatures, metallic-like, half-metallic, or insulating behaviors, and large carrier spin polarizations. In addition, the Re-based DP compounds with heterovalent transition metals B′ and B″ occupying B sites have a potential to exhibit rich electronic structures and complex magnetic structures owing to the strong interplays between strongly localized 3d electrons and more delocalized 5d electrons with strong spin–orbit coupling. Thus, the involved physics in the Re-based DP compounds is much richer than expected. Therefore, there are many issues related to the couplings among the charge, spin, and orbitals, which need to be addressed in the Re-based DP compounds. In the past decade, much effort has been made to synthesize Re-based DP compounds and to investigate their crystal structures, structural chemistry, and metal–insulator transitions via orbital ordering, cationic ordering, and electrical, magnetic, and magneto-transport properties, leading to rich literature in the experimental and theoretical investigations. This Review focuses on recent advances in Re-based DP oxides, which include their synthesis methods, physical and structural characterizations, and advanced applications of Re-based DP oxides. Theoretical investigations of the electronic and structural aspects of Re-based DP oxides are also summarized. Finally, future perspectives of Re-based DP oxides are also addressed.

Magnetic and vibronic terahertz excitations in Zn-doped Fe2Mo3O8

We report on optical excitations in the magnetically ordered phases of multiferroic Fe$_{1.86}$Zn$_{0.14}$Mo$_3$O$_8$ in the frequency range from 10-130 cm$^{-1}$ (0.3-3.9 THz). In the collinear easy-axis antiferromagnetic phase below $T_N=50$~K eleven optically active modes have been observed in finite magnetic fields, assuming that the lowest-lying mode is doubly degenerate. The large number of modes reflects either a more complex magnetic structure than in pure Fe$_{2}$Mo$_3$O$_8$ or that spin stretching modes become active in addition to the usual spin precessional modes. Their magnetic field dependence, for fields applied along the easy axis, reflects the irreversible magnetic-field driven phase transition from the antiferromagnetic ground state to a ferrimagnetic state, while the number of modes remains unchanged in the covered frequency region. We determined selection rules for some of the AFM modes by investigating all polarization configurations and identified magnetic- and electric-dipole active modes as well. In addition to these sharp resonances, a broad electric-dipole active excitation band, which is not influenced by the external magnetic field, occurs below $T_N$ with an onset at 12 cm$^{-1}$. We are able to model this absorption band as a vibronic excitation related to the lowest-lying Fe$^{2+}$ electronic states in tetrahedral environment.

Complex magnetic structure in Ba5Ru3O12 with isolated Ru3O12 trimer

We report detailed magnetic, transport, heat-capacity, and neutron diffraction measurements of Ba5Ru3O12, a compound consisting of isolated Ru3O12 trimers. We show that this system develops long-range antiferromagnetic ordering at 60 K (TN) without structural distortion and metal-insulator-type transition, which is in sharp contrast to other Barium Ruthenate trimer systems such as 9R-BaRuO3 and Ba4Ru3O10. A complex magnetic structure is revealed which is attributable to the magnetic frustration due to competing exchange interactions between Ru ions on different crystallographic sites within the Ru3O12 trimer.

Competing magnetic states in silicene and germanene 2D ferromagnets

Two-dimension (2D) magnets have recently developed into a class of stoichiometric materials with prospective applications in ultra-compact spintronics and quantum computing. Their functionality is particularly rich when different magnetic orders are competing in the same material. Metalloxenes REX2 (RE = Eu, Gd; X = Si, Ge), silicene or germanene — heavy counterparts of graphene — coupled with a layer of rare-earth metals, evolve from three-dimension (3D) antiferromagnets in multilayer structures to 2D ferromagnets in a few monolayers. This evolution, however, does not lead to fully saturated 2D ferromagnetism, pointing at a possibility of coexisting/competing magnetic states. Here, REX2 magnetism is explored with element-selective X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). The measurements are carried out for GdSi2, EuSi2, GdGe2, and EuGe2 of different thicknesses down to 1 monolayer employing K absorption edges of Si and Ge as well as M and L edges of the rare-earths. They access the magnetic state in REX2 and determine the seat of magnetism, orbital, and spin contributions to the magnetic moment. High-field measurements probe remnants of the bulk antiferromagnetism in 2D REX2. The results provide a new platform for studies of complex magnetic structures in 2D materials.

Complicated magnetic structure and its strong correlation with the anomalous Hall effect in Mn3Sn

The large anomalous Hall effect (AHE) has recently been found in noncollinear antiferromagnet $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$. However, the complex magnetic structure and its correlation with the AHE remain unclear. Here we investigate the magnetic structure of $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$ completely by means of both the temperature and magnetic field dependence of neutron power diffraction. This study establishes the possible incommensurate magnetic structure models and extracts the temperature evolution of the magnetic moment of the Mn atom over the whole temperature range for $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$. The large AHE of polycrystalline bulk $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$ is measured in detail. By comparing the temperature dependence of the spontaneous component of the AHE and the magnetic moment, direct experimental evidence reveals that the triangular antiferromagnetic ordered moment of the Mn atom controls the change in the AHE of $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$. This study provides the possibility to control the AHE of functional materials via changing the magnetic structure.

Features of the Pulsed Magnetization Switching in a High-Coercivity Material Based on ε-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles

The magnetic structure of the e-Fe2O3 iron oxide polymorphic modification is collinear ferrimagnetic in the range from room temperature to ~150 K. As the temperature decreases, e-Fe2O3 undergoes a magnetic transition accompanied by a significant decrease in the coercivity Hc and, in the low-temperature range, the compound has a complex incommensurate magnetic structure. We experimentally investigated the dynamic magnetization switching of the e-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average size of 8 nm in the temperature range of 80–300 K, which covers different types of the magnetic structure of this iron oxide. A bulk material consisting of xerogel SiO2 with the e-Fe2O3 nanoparticles embedded in its pores was examined. The magnetic hysteresis loops under dynamic magnetization switching were measured using pulsed magnetic fields Hmax of up to 130 kOe by discharging a capacitor bank through a solenoid. The coercivity Нс upon the dynamic magnetization switching noticeably exceeds the Нс value under the quasi-static conditions. This is caused by the superparamagnetic relaxation of magnetic moments of particles upon the pulsed magnetization switching. In the range from room temperature to ~ 150 K, the external field variation rate dH/dt is the main parameter that determines the behavior of the coercivity under the dynamic magnetization switching. It is the behavior that is expected for a system of single-domain ferro- and ferrimagnetic particles. Under external conditions (at a temperature of 80 K) when the e-Fe2O3 magnetic structure is incommensurate, the coercivity during the pulsed magnetization switching depends already on the parameter dH/dt and is determined, to a great extent, by the maximum applied field Hmax. Such a behavior atypical of systems of ferrimagnetic particles is caused already by the dynamic spin processes inside the e-Fe2O3 particles during fast magnetization switching.

Time-resolved imaging of three-dimensional nanoscale magnetization dynamics

Understanding and control of the dynamic response of magnetic materials with a three-dimensional magnetization distribution is important both fundamentally and for technological applications. From a fundamental point of view, the internal magnetic structure and dynamics in bulk materials still need to be mapped1, including the dynamic properties of topological structures such as vortices2, magnetic singularities3 or skyrmion lattices4. From a technological point of view, the response of inductive materials to magnetic fields and spin-polarized currents is essential for magnetic sensors and data storage devices5. Here, we demonstrate time-resolved magnetic laminography, a pump-probe technique, which offers access to the temporal evolution of a three-dimensional magnetic microdisc with nanoscale resolution, and with a synchrotron-limited temporal resolution of 70 ps. We image the dynamic response to a 500 MHz magnetic field of the complex three-dimensional magnetization in a two-phase bulk magnet with a lateral spatial resolution of 50 nm. This is achieved with a stroboscopic measurement consisting of eight time steps evenly spaced over 2 ns. These measurements map the spatial transition between domain wall motion and the dynamics of a uniform magnetic domain that is attributed to variations in the magnetization state across the phase boundary. Our technique, which probes three-dimensional magnetic structures with temporal resolution, enables the experimental investigation of functionalities arising from dynamic phenomena in bulk and three-dimensional patterned nanomagnets6.

Complex magnetic order in the decorated spin-chain system Rb2Mn3(MoO4)3(OH)2

Macroscopic magnetic properties and microscopic magnetic structure of Rb$_2$Mn$_3$(MoO$_4$)$_3$(OH)$_2$ (space group $Pnma$) are investigated by magnetization, heat capacity and single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements. The compound's crystal structure contains bond-alternating [Mn$_3$O$_{11}$]$^{\infty}$ chains along the $b$-axis, formed by isosceles triangles of Mn ions occupying two crystallographically nonequivalent sites (Mn1 site on the base and Mn2 site on the vertex). These chains are only weakly linked to each other by nonmagnetic oxyanions. Both SQUID magnetometry and neutron diffraction experiments show two successive magnetic transitions as a function of temperature. On cooling, it transitions from a paramagnetic phase into an incommensurate phase below 4.5~K with a magnetic wavevector near ${\bf k}_{1} = (0,~0.46,~0)$. An additional commensurate antiferromagnetically ordered component arises with ${\bf k}_{2} = (0,~0,~0)$, forming a complex magnetic structure below 3.5~K with two different propagation vectors of different stars. On further cooling, the incommensurate wavevector undergoes a lock-in transition below 2.3~K. The experimental results suggest that the magnetic superspace group is $Pnma.1'(0b0)s0ss$ for the single-${\bf k}$ incommensurate phase and is $Pn'ma(0b0)00s$ for the 2-${\bf k}$ magnetic phase. We propose a simplified magnetic structure model taking into account the major ordered contributions, where the commensurate ${\bf k}_{2}$ defines the ordering of the $c$-axis component of Mn1 magnetic moment, while the incommensurate ${\bf k}_{1}$ describes the ordering of the $ab$-plane components of both Mn1 and Mn2 moments into elliptical cycloids

Neglected X-ray discovered polars

We report on the X-ray observations of the eclipsing polar HY Eri (RX J0501–0359), along with its photometric, spectrophotometric, and spectropolarimetric optical variations, collected over 30 years. With an orbital period of 2.855 h, HY Eri falls near the upper edge of the 2–3 h period gap. After 2011, the system went into a prolonged low state, continuing to accrete at a low level. We present an accurate alias-free long-term orbital ephemeris and report a highly significant period change by 10 ms that took place over the time interval from 2011 to 2018. We acquired a high-quality eclipse spectrum that shows the secondary star as a dM5–6 dwarf at a distance d = 1050 ± 110 pc. Based on phase-resolved cyclotron and Zeeman spectroscopy, we identify the white dwarf (WD) in HY Eri as a two-pole accretor with nearly opposite accretion spots of 28 and 30 MG. The Zeeman analysis of the low state spectrum reveals a complex magnetic field structure, which we fit by a multipole model. We detected narrow emission lines from the irradiated face of the secondary star, of which Mg Iλ5170 with a radial velocity amplitude of K′2 = 139 ± 10 km s−1 (90% confidence) tracks the secondary more reliably than the narrow Hα line. Based on the combined dynamical analysis and spectroscopic measurement of the angular radius of the WD, we obtain a primary mass of M1 = 0.42 ± 0.05 M⊙ (90% confidence errors), identifying it as a probable He WD or hybrid HeCO WD. The secondary is a main sequence star of M2 = 0.24 ± 0.04 M⊙ that seems to be slightly inflated. The large distance of HY Eri and the lack of similar systems suggest a very low space density of polars with low-mass primary. According to current theory, these systems are destroyed by induced runaway mass transfer, suggesting that HY Eri may be doomed to destruction. Over the last 30 years, HY Eri experienced high and low states with mass transfer rates that differed by three orders of magnitude, varying between Ṁ ≃ 10−9 M⊙ yr−1 and 10−12 M⊙ yr−1. At a galactic latitude of −26.1°, it is located about 500 pc below the galactic plane.

Obtaining order in the “frustrated” landscape of disordered magnetism

Identifying a material’s magnetic structure is a key to unlocking new features and higher performance in electronic devices. However, solving increasingly complex magnetic structures requires incre...

Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a Uranus-at-equinox type rotating magnetosphere

Context. As proven by measurements at Uranus and Neptune, the magnetic dipole axis and planetary spin axis can be off by a large angle exceeding 45°. The magnetosphere of such an (exo-)planet is highly variable over a one-day period and it does potentially exhibit a complex magnetic tail structure. The dynamics and shape of rotating magnetospheres do obviously depend on the planet’s characteristics but also, and very substantially, on the orientation of the planetary spin axis with respect to the impinging, generally highly supersonic, stellar wind. Aims. On its orbit around the Sun, the orientation of Uranus’ spin axis with respect to the solar wind changes from quasi-perpendicular (solstice) to quasi-parallel (equinox). In this paper, we simulate the magnetosphere of a fictitious Uranus-like planet plunged in a supersonic plasma (the stellar wind) at equinox. A simulation with zero wind velocity is also presented in order to help disentangle the effects of the rotation from the effects of the supersonic wind in the structuring of the planetary magnetic tail. Methods. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in conservative form are integrated on a structured spherical grid using the Message-Passing Interface-Adaptive Mesh Refinement Versatile Advection Code (MPI-AMRVAC). In order to limit diffusivity at grid level, we used background and residual decomposition of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is thus made of the sum of a prescribed time-dependent background field B0(t) and a residual field B1(t) computed by the code. In our simulations, B0(t) is essentially made of a rigidly rotating potential dipole field. Results. The first simulation shows that, while plunged in a non-magnetised plasma, a magnetic dipole rotating about an axis oriented at 90° with respect to itself does naturally accelerate the plasma away from the dipole around the rotation axis. The acceleration occurs over a spatial scale of the order of the Alfvénic co-rotation scale r*. During the acceleration, the dipole lines become stretched and twisted. The observed asymptotic fluid velocities are of the order of the phase speed of the fast MHD mode. In two simulations where the surrounding non-magnetised plasma was chosen to move at supersonic speed perpendicularly to the rotation axis (a situation that is reminiscent of Uranus in the solar wind at equinox), the lines of each hemisphere are symmetrically twisted and stretched as before. However, they are also bent by the supersonic flow, thus forming a magnetic tail of interlaced field lines of opposite polarity. Similarly to the case with no wind, the interlaced field lines and the attached plasma are accelerated by the rotation and also by the transfer of kinetic energy flux from the surrounding supersonic flow. The tailwards fluid velocity increases asymptotically towards the externally imposed flow velocity, or wind. In one more simulation, a transverse magnetic field, to both the spin axis and flow direction, was added to the impinging flow so that magnetic reconnection could occur between the dipole anchored field lines and the impinging field lines. No major difference with respect to the no-magnetised flow case is observed, except that the tailwards acceleration occurs in two steps and is slightly more efficient. In order to emphasise the effect of rotation, we only address the case of a fast-rotating planet where the co-rotation scale r* is of the order of the planetary counter-flow magnetopause stand-off distance rm. For Uranus, r*≫ rm and the effects of rotation are only visible at large tailwards distances r ≫ rm.

Особенности импульсного перемагничивания высококоэрцитивного материала на основе наночастиц ε-Fe-=SUB=-2-=/SUB=-O-=SUB=-3-=/SUB=-

The magnetic structure of the polymorphic modification of iron oxide ε-Fe2O3 is collinear ferrimagnetic in the range from room temperature to ~ 150 K. Further, with decreasing a temperature in ε-Fe2O3, a magnetic transition occurs, accompanied by a significant decrease in the coercive force HC, and in the low temperature range ε-Fe2O3 is characterized by a complex incommensurate magnetic structure. In this work, we experimentally investigated the processes of dynamic magnetization reversal of ε-Fe2O3 nanoparticles of an average size of 8 nm in the temperature range of 80–300 K, comprising various types of magnetic structure of this iron oxide. A bulk material was studied - xerogel SiO2 with ε Fe2O3 nanoparticles embedded in pores. To measure the magnetic hysteresis loops under dynamic magnetization reversal, a pulsed magnetic field technique of Hmax up to 130 kOe was used, using the method of discharging a capacitor bank through a solenoid. The coercive force of HC during dynamic magnetization reversal noticeably exceeds HC for quasi-static conditions. This is caused by processes of superparamagnetic relaxation of the magnetic moments of particles during pulsed magnetization reversal. In the range from room temperature to ~ 150 K, the rate of change of the external field dH / dt is the main parameter determining the behavior of the coercive force under the conditions of dynamic magnetization reversal. This behavior is expected for a system of single-domain ferro- and ferrimagnetic particles. Under external conditions (at a temperature of 80 K), when the magnetic structure of ε Fe2O3 is incommensurate, the coercive force during pulsed magnetization reversal already depends on the parameter dH / dt, and is largely determined by the maximum applied field Hmax. Such a behavior, atypical for systems of ferrimagnetic particles, is already caused by dynamic spin processes inside ε-Fe2O3 particles during fast magnetization reversal.

Anomalous magnetic behavior and complex magnetic structure of proximate LaCrO3—LaFeO3 system

We investigated complex magnetic properties of multifunctional LaCrO3-LaFeO3 system. The magnetic measurements substantiate the presence of competing complex magnetic ordering against temperature, showing paramagnetic to ferrimagnetic transition at ∼300 K, followed by antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition near ∼250 K superimposed on ferrimagnetic phase. The onset of weak ferrimagnetic ordering is attributed to the competing complex interaction between two AFM LaCrO3-LaFeO3 sublattices. The low-temperature AFM ordering is also substantiated by temperature-dependent Raman measurements, where the intensity ratio of 700 cm−1 Raman active mode showed a clear enhancement with lowering the temperature. The non-saturating nature of magnetic moments in LaCrO3-LaFeO6 suggests the predominating AFM ordering in conjunction with ferrimagnetic ordering between 250 K–300 K up to 5 T magnetic field. A complex magnetic structure of LaCrO3-LaFeO3 is constructed, emphasizing the metastable magnetic phase near room temperature and low-temperature antiferromagnetic state.

Three-dimensional magnetic field structure of a flux-emerging region in the solar atmosphere

We analyze high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of a flux-emerging region (FER) in order to understand its magnetic and kinematic structure. Our spectropolarimetric observations in the He I 10830 Å spectral region of a FER were recorded with GRIS at the 1.5 m aperture GREGOR telescope. A Milne–Eddington-based inversion code was employed to extract the photospheric information of the Si I spectral line, whereas the He I triplet line was analyzed with the Hazel inversion code, which takes into account the joint action of the Hanle and the Zeeman effects. The spectropolarimetric analysis of the Si I line reveals a complex magnetic structure near the vicinity of the FER, where a weak (350–600 G) and horizontal magnetic field was observed. In contrast to the photosphere, the analysis of the He I triplet presents a smooth variation of the magnetic field vector (ranging from 100 to 400 G) and velocities across the FER. Moreover, we find supersonic downflows of ∼40 km s−1 appearing near the foot points of loops connecting two pores of opposite polarity, whereas strong upflows of 22 km s−1 appear near the apex of the loops. At the location of supersonic downflows in the chromosphere, we observed downflows of 3 km s−1 in the photosphere. Furthermore, nonforce-free field extrapolations were performed separately at two layers in order to understand the magnetic field topology of the FER. We determine, using extrapolations from the photosphere and the observed chromospheric magnetic field, that the average formation height of the He I triplet line is ∼2 Mm from the solar surface. The reconstructed loops using photospheric extrapolations along an arch filament system have a maximum height of ∼10.5 Mm from the solar surface with a foot-point separation of ∼19 Mm, whereas the loops reconstructed using chromospheric extrapolations reach around ∼8.4 Mm above the solar surface with a foot-point separation of ∼16 Mm at the chromospheric height. The magnetic topology in the FER suggests the presence of small-scale loops beneath the large loops. Under suitable conditions, due to magnetic reconnection, these loops can trigger various heating events in the vicinity of the FER.

3D magnetic patterning in additive manufacturing via site-specific in-situ alloy modification

Controlling the process-microstructure-properties relationship is at the heart of materials science. Thus in-situ compositional control in additive manufacturing has the potential to innovate present materials AM processing. We demonstrate in-situ alloy modification during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processing with the site-specific control of the para- and ferromagnetic properties in a high-nitrogen steel part fabricated by LPBF. Nitrogen can be selectively evaporated during the LPBF process by varying the volumetric energy density. The controlled evaporation of nitrogen stabilizes the ferromagnetic bcc phase at the expense of the paramagnetic fcc phase as shown by experiments and thermodynamic simulations. We demonstrate the feasibility to print complex magnetic structures by a 3D magnetic chessboard pattern comprised of non-ferromagnetic and partially ferromagnetic areas. The presented approach is applicable to all alloys where volatile elements affect the microstructure.

Multi-diagnostic analysis of plasma filaments in the island divertor

Filaments or blobs are well known structures in turbulence in magnetic fusion devices, they are considered to be the major cross-transport channel in the scrape off layer. They originate at the last closed magnetic flux surface and propagate out on the low field side of toroidal devices due to polarization in the curved magnetic field. The Wendelstein 7-X stellarator has a complex three-dimensional magnetic field structure and additionally the plasma is bounded by a chain of magnetic islands, forming an island divertor. After the first observation of filaments in Wendelstein 7-X with video cameras a multi-diagnostic study is presented in this paper to reveal their 3D structure and dynamics. Filaments are seen to be born at the edge and, at least in some cases, seen to extend to up to 4 toroidal turns. After moving radially out a few cm they enter the edge island. Here they disappear from the equatorial plane and about 200 microseconds later reappear on the outboard side of the island. A long-wavelength (∼20–30 cm) quasi coherent mode is observed in both regions where filaments appear. The similarities and differences between the filaments seen in W7-X and other devices are discussed. Possible explanations for this strange radial propagation are considered, together with the likely role of filaments in the edge and island density profile.

Consequences of magnetic ordering in chiral Mn1/3NbS2

We have investigated the structural, magnetic, thermodynamic, and charge transport properties of Mn1/3NbS2 single crystals through x-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetization, specific heat, magnetoresistance, and Hall effect measurements. Mn1/3NbS2 displays a magnetic transition at TC ~ 45 K with highly anisotropic behavior expected for a hexagonal structured material. Below TC, neutron diffraction reveals increased scattering near the structural Bragg peaks having a wider Q-dependence along the c-axis than the nuclear Bragg peaks. This indicates helimagnetism with a long pitch length of ~250 nm (or a wavevector q~0.0025 {\AA}-1) along the c-axis. This q is substantially smaller than that found for the helimagnetic state in isostructural Cr1/3NbS2 (0.015 {\AA}-1). Specific heat capacity measurements confirm a second-order magnetic phase transition with a substantial magnetic contribution that persists to low temperature. The large low-temperature specific heat capacity is consistent with a large density of low-lying magnetic excitations that are likely associated with topologically interesting magnetic modes. Changes to the magnetoresistance, the magnetization, and the magnetic neutron diffraction, which become more apparent below 20 K, imply a modification in the character of the magnetic ordering corresponding to the magnetic contribution to the specific heat capacity. These observations signify a more complex magnetic structure both at zero and finite fields for Mn1/3NbS2 than for the well-investigated Cr1/3NbS2.

Complex magnetic structure and related thermodynamic properties of Mn2SnS4

Magnetic chalcogenide compounds have a great potential in the field of spintronics and biomedical applications. Unlike magnetic transition metal oxides, the study on magnetic chalcogenides is sparse. Here we investigate the magnetic, thermodynamic and electronic properties of a ternary chalcogenide, Mn2SnS4. Contrary to most of the 214-chalcogenide compounds which crystallize in well-known olivine structure with space group Pnma, the title compound, Mn2SnS4, crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group, Cmmm. Magnetic measurements reveal two distinct magnetic transitions: (i) an antiferromagnetic ordering below 152 K, (ii) a weak ferromagnetic ordering, possibly due to spin canting and frustration below 53 K. Neutron diffraction study at 100 K suggest that the magnetic moments (spins) within {1 1 1} planes are ordered ferromagnetically and the adjacent {1 1 1} planes are coupled antiferromagnetically, however, the magnetic spins are not collinear rather canted. LMTO-ASA calculation on an antiferromagnetic model indicates that the compound is poorly metallic in nature and the manganese spins are completely spin polarized.

Low-Dimensional Magnetic Semimetal Cr0.65Al1.35Se3.

While exploring novel magnetic semiconductors, the new phase Cr0.65Al1.35Se3 was discovered and characterized by both structural and physical properties. Cr0.65Al1.35Se3 was found to crystallize into orthorhombic CrGeTe3-type structure with space group Pnma (no. 62). Vacancies and mixed occupancies were tested, and the results show that one of the 4c sites accommodates a mixture of Cr and Al atoms, while the other 4c site is fully occupied by Al atoms. Unique structural features include a T-shaped channel network created from the edge-sharing Cr/Al@Se6 and Al@Se4 polyhedra and a zipper effect of the puckered Se atoms inside the columnar channels. The round peak observed in the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χg) plot at ∼8(1) K corresponds to the antiferromagnetic-type transition in Cr0.65Al1.35Se3. However, the positive θCW indicates an additional ferromagnetic interaction, which is highly likely due to the complex magnetic structure arising from the mixed Cr/Al occupancies on the 4c site. Electrical resistivity measurements confirm that Cr0.65Al1.35Se3 is a semimetal with a positive magnetoresistance. Here we present the characterization and determination of the crystal structure and physical properties for this new material.

Role of Ce 4f-conduction band on-site hybridisation in the nature of magnetism in Ce5MGe2, where M is d-electron-type metal

ABSTRACTA combined experimental study and band structure calculations indicate a mixed valence of Ce in the series of CeGe compounds ( Ru, Rh, Pd, and Ag), due to strong on-site hybridisation () between Ce states and conduction band, which is a reason for their complex magnetic structure. It has been shown that energy is meV and does not significantly depend on metal M. In effect, the Curie temperatures of these compounds are very similar ( K). However, is strongly modified by local atomic environment of Ce ions. The same, exchange interaction between various Ce ions depends on random occupation in the vicinity of Ce sites, which can be cause of spin glass-like state () in the CeGe series. On the basis of Schrieffer–Wolff transformation, ab initio calculations and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data, we estimated coupling constants for a CeGe series, which are dependent on Wyckoff position of Ce and its atomic environment. We argue that various are a reason of spin glass-like state in each compound. For CeRuGe, CeRhGe and CePdGe, the interband hybridisation forms a pseudogap in density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level, which could be reason of a Mott variable-range hoping behaviour.