Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Ramirez, A. P.

Publications and source records attributed to Ramirez, A. P..

11 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Evolution of magnetic surfboards and spin glass behavior in (Fe 1- p Ga p ) 2 TiO 5

The unusual anisotropy of the spin glass (SG) transition in the pseudobrookite system Fe 2 TiO 5 has been interpreted as arising from an induced, van der Waals-like, interaction among magnetic clusters. Here we present susceptibility ($\chi$) and specific heat data ($C$) for Fe 2 TiO 5 diluted with non-magnetic Ga, (Fe 1- p Ga p ) 2 TiO 5 , for disorder parameter $p$ = 0, 0.11, and 0.42, and elastic neutron scattering data for $p$ = 0.20. A uniform suppression of ${T_g}$ is observed upon increasing $p$, along with a value of $\chi \left( {{T_g}} \right)$ that increases as $T_g$ decreases, i.e. $d\chi ({T_g})/d{T_g} < 0$ We also observe $C\left( T \right) \propto {T^2}$ in the low temperature limit. In conclusion, the observed behavior places (Fe 1- p Ga p ) 2 TiO 5 in the category of a strongly geometrically frustrated SG.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Neutron scattering study of fluctuating and static spin correlations in the anisotropic spin glass Fe 2 Ti O 5

The anisotropic spin-glass transition, in which spin freezing is observed only along the c axis in pseudobrookite Fe 2 TiO 5 , has long been perplexing because the Fe 3+ moments (d 5 ) are expected to be isotropic. Recently, neutron diffraction demonstrated that surfboard-shaped antiferromagnetic nanoregions coalesce above the glass transition temperature T g ≈55K, and a model was proposed in which the freezing of the surfboard magnetization fluctuations leads to the anisotropic spin-glass state. Given this model, we have carried out high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the spin-spin correlations to understand the temperature dependence of the intrasurfboard spin dynamics on neutron (picosecond) timescales. Here, in this paper, we report on the temperature-dependence of the spin fluctuations measured from single-crystal Fe 2 TiO 5 . Strong quasi-elastic magnetic scattering, arising from intrasurfboard correlations, is observed well above T g . The spin fluctuations possess a steep energy–wave vector relation and are indicative of strong exchange interactions, consistent with the large Curie-Weiss temperature. As the temperature approaches T g from above, a shift in spectral weight from inelastic to elastic scattering is observed. At various temperatures between 4 and 300 K, a characteristic relaxation rate of the fluctuations is determined. Despite the freezing of most of the spin correlations, an inelastic contribution remains even at base temperature, signifying the presence of fluctuating intrasurfboard spin correlations to at least T/T g ≈0.1 , consistent with an energy landscape that is a hybrid between conventional and geometrically frustrated spin glasses.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Energy Dependent Fission Product Yields

Since 2011, the LLNL-LANL-TUNL collaboration has undertaken experimental measurements of the energy evolution of the chain fission product yields (FPY) from neutron-induced fission of 235 U, 238 U, and 239 Pu using quasi-monoenergetic neutrons produced at the TUNL 10 MV Van de Graaff accelerator. Our method relies on direct, post-irradiation γ-ray spectroscopy of γ-rays emitted by fission products in actinide targets, with multiple γ-ray spectra taken continuously for a period from a half-hour to three months from the end of irradiation. The main experimental results of this study have been published for eight incident neutron energies of En = 0.58, 1.37, 2.37, 3.6, 4.6, 5.5, 8.9 and 14.8 MeV [1–4]. For each incident energy, approximately 16 cumulative FPYs were determined, nearly all being high-yield fission products, i.e., those occurring in the peaks of the mass distributions. As will be described in this report, our FPY analysis has been significantly improved in every step of the process, reducing the overall systematic uncertainties compared to previously published data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Magnetoquantum oscillations in the specific heat of a topological Kondo insulator

Surprisingly, magnetoquantum oscillations (MQOs) characteristic of a metal with a Fermi surface have been observed in measurements of the topological Kondo insulator SmB 6 . As these MQO have only been observed in measurements of magnetic torque (dHvA) and not in measurements of magnetoresistance (SdH), a debate has arisen as to whether the MQO are an extrinsic effect arising from rare-earth impurities, defects, and/or aluminum inclusions or an intrinsic effect revealing the existence of charge-neutral excitations. In this work, we report the first observation of MQO in the low-temperature specific heat of SmB 6 . The observed frequencies and their angular dependence for these flux-grown samples are consistent with previous results based on magnetic torque for SmB 6 but the inferred effective masses are significantly larger than previously reported. Such oscillations can only be observed if the MQO are of bulk thermodynamic origin; the measured magnetic-field dependent oscillation amplitude and effective mass allow us to rule out suggestions of an extrinsic, aluminum inclusion-based origin for the MQO.

topological materials↗
DOE OSTI2022

Eminuscent phase in frustrated magnets: a challenge to quantum spin liquids

A geometrically frustrated (GF) magnet consists of localised magnetic moments, spins, whose orientation cannot be arranged to simultaneously minimise their interaction energies. Such materials may host novel fascinating phases of matter, such as fluid-like states called quantum spin-liquids. GF magnets have, like all solid-state systems, randomly located impurities whose magnetic moments may “freeze” at low temperatures, making the system enter a spin-glass state. We analyse the available data for spin-glass transitions in GF materials and find a surprising trend: the glass-transition temperature grows with decreasing impurity concentration and reaches a finite value in the impurity-free limit at a previously unidentified, “hidden”, energy scale. We propose a scenario in which the interplay of interactions and entropy leads to a crossover in the permeability of the medium that assists glass freezing at low temperatures. This low-temperature, “eminuscent”, phase may obscure or even destroy the widely-sought spin-liquid states in rather clean systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Structural and electronic properties of the first iridium containing mixed B-site spinel oxide: Cu [ Ir 1.5 Cu 0.5 ] O 4

Geometrically frustrated systems populated with large spin-orbit coupled ions are an ideal setting for the exploration of novel exotic states of matter. In this study we present an example of iridium on a mixed B-site spinel oxide structure: Cu [ Ir 1.498 ( 2 ) Cu 0.502 ( 2 ) ] O 4 . Synchrotron XRD refinements reveal a face-centered-cubic structure with space group F d 3 ¯ m and mixed Cu-Ir site disorder within the B 2 O 4 rocksalt substructure. Electrical properties reveal a metallic state within the 50–600-K range with a Kondo effect at T < 50 K . X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements show a mixed Cu 1 + / 2 + and Ir 3 + / 4 + charge partitioned picture, which suggests a metallic/band description with reduced on-site Coulomb interactions. Spin-glass-like freezing is seen at T g = 49 K , and the hysteresis behavior for T > T g resembles that of a strongly frustrated magnet. DFT calculations show sizable hybridization between the Cu 3 d and Ir 5 d states with an effective mixed Ir 3 + / 4 + charge partitioned picture, supporting the electronic and XAS results.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fluctuation-induced interactions and the spin-glass transition in Fe 2 TiO 5

In this work, we investigate the spin-glass transition in the strongly frustrated well-known compound Fe 2 TiO 5 . A remarkable feature of this transition, widely discussed in the literature, is its anisotropic properties: The transition manifests itself in the magnetic susceptibly only along one axis, despite Fe 3 + d 5 spins having no orbital component. We demonstrate, using neutron scattering, that below the transition temperature T g = 55 K, Fe 2 TiO 5 develops nanoscale surfboard-shaped antiferromagnetic regions in which the Fe 3 + spins are aligned perpendicular to the axis which exhibits freezing. We show that the glass transition may result from the freezing of transverse fluctuations of the magnetization of these regions and we develop a mean-field replica theory of such a transition, revealing a type of magnetic van der Waals effect.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Iridium valence variation and carrier sign tuning in ( Ca , Ba ) x La 2 – x CuIrO 6 double perovskites

Here, we report the structure and properties of ( Ca , Ba ) x La 2 – x CuIrO 6 . The rock-salt double perovskite structure goes through a P 1 ¯ to P 2 1 / n phase transition with increasing Ba content but not with Ca content. In both cases, the Ir ion is oxidized from 4 + to 5 + with increasing substitution. Transport and magnetic properties measurements reveal that all compositions are insulating with hysteretic spin-freezing magnetic behavior. Seebeck coefficient measurements reveal a large thermopower change from + 176 μ V /K in La 2 CuIrO 6 to – 223 μ V /K with increasing Ba content in Ba x La 2 – x CuIrO 6 . This behavior is modeled well by the Heikes formula for correlated hopping conduction. ( Ca , Ba ) x La 2 – x CuIrO 6 provides a model system for investigations of other systems with similar carrier sign tuning, with applications toward semiconductors and thermoelectric materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Extremely Weakly Interacting ΔS z = 0 and ΔS z = 1 Excitations and Evidence for Fractional Quantization in a Magnetization Plateau: CeSb

The plateau at 1/3 of the saturation magnetization $M_s$ in the metamagnet CeSb is accompanied by a state of ferromagnetic layers of spins in an up-up-down sequence. We measured M and the specific heat C in the plateau, spin wave analyses of which reveal two distinct branches of excitations. Those with $ΔS_z = 1$ as measured by M, coexist with a much larger population of $ΔS_z = 0$ excitations measured by C but invisible to M. The large density of $ΔS_z = 0$ excitations, their energy gap, and their seeming lack of interaction with $ΔS_z = 1$ excitations suggest an analogy with astrophysical dark matter. Furthermore, in the middle of the plateau three sharp jumps in M(H) are seen, the size of which, $0.15 \% M_s$, is consistent with fractional quantization of magnetization per site in the down-spin layers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Structure and electronic properties of CaAl 12₋x Fe x O19 hibonites

Dilution of iron in the AM 12 O 19 has shown promising coupling of magnetic and electric properties in the hexaferrites. In this study, we have prepared samples of low iron content in the isostructural hibonite, CaAl 12 -x Fe x O 19 , to investigate the structural effects of larger iron substitution into the aluminum sites and the resultant properties. We found a solid solution exists for CaAl 12 -x Fe x O 19 where x ≤ 5 . 5. Iron distributes into all sites with the tetrahedral M3 and octahedral M5 sites displaying nominally larger preference at higher Fe content. Paramagnetic behavior was observed for x = 1-3, while x = 4-5.5 displayed a broad ferromagnetic-like transition with increasing Curie temperature. Differences in field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetic susceptibility measurements and low magnetic moment indicate the presence of a frustrated antiferromagnetic structure as the source of the ferromagnetic-like behavior. Increasing Fe content also increases the dielectric constant up to 21 at room temperature with high dielectric loss.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗