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At least 127 records · Page 7

Effect of Melt-Spinning Parameters on the Structure and Properties of Ni 55.5 Mn 18.8 Ga 24 Si 1.7 Heusler Alloy Ribbons

Ni–Mn-based Heusler alloys are known to demonstrate magnetic shape memory and giant magnetocaloric effect (MCE). These effects depend on the phases, crystallographic and magnetic phase transitions, and the crystallographic texture characteristics. These structural characteristics, in turn, are a function of the processing parameters. In the current work, Ni 55.5 Mn 18.8 Ga 24 Si 1.7 Heusler alloy was processed by melt-spinning under a helium atmosphere. This process results in a fine microstructure. The ribbon that was produced with a narrower nozzle width, faster wheel speed, and higher cast temperature, indicating a faster cooling rate, had double the magnetic entropy change close to room temperature. However, the other ribbon demonstrated a large entropy change over a broader temperature range, extending its usability. The effect of the melt-spinning process parameters on the developing microstructure, crystallographic structure and texture, transformation temperatures, and the magnetic entropy change were studied to explain the difference in magnetocaloric behavior.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The effects of high-pressure annealing on magnetostructural transitions and magnetoresponsive properties in stoichiometric MnCoGe

In this study, phase transitions (structural and magnetic) and associated magnetocaloric properties of stoichiometric MnCoGe have been investigated as a function of annealing pressure. Metastable phases were generated by annealing at 800 °C followed by rapid cooling under pressures up to 6.0 GPa. The x-ray diffraction results reveal that the crystal cell volume of the metastable phases continuously decreases with increasing thermal processing pressure, leading to a decrease in the structural transition temperature. The magnetic and structural transitions merge and form a first-order magnetostructural transition between the ferromagnetic orthorhombic and paramagnetic hexagonal phases over a broad temperature range (>80 K) spanning room temperature, yielding considerable magnetic entropy changes. These findings demonstrate the utility of thermal processing under high pressure, i.e., high-pressure annealing, to control the magnetostructural transitions and associated magnetocaloric properties of MnCoGe without altering its chemical composition.

Physics↗

First-order magnetic phase transition in P r 2 In with negligible thermomagnetic hysteresis

Magnetic first-order phase transitions are key for the emergence of functionalities of fundamental and applied significance, including magnetic shape memory as well as magnetostrictive and magnetocaloric effects. Such transitions are usually associated with thermomagnetic hysteresis. In this paper we report the observation of a firstorder transition in Pr 2 In from a paramagnetic to a ferromagnetic state at $T_C$ = 57K without a detectable thermomagnetic hysteresis, which is also accompanied by a large magnetocaloric effect. The peculiar electronic structure of Pr2In exhibiting a large density of states near the Fermi energy explains the highly responsive magnetic behavior of the material. The magnetic properties of Pr 2 In are reported, including observation of another (second-order) magnetic transition at 35 K.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Field-induced spin level crossings within a quasi-$XY$ antiferromagnetic state in $Ba$ 2 $FeSi$ 2 $O$ 7

Here, we present a high-field study of the strongly anisotropic easy-plane square lattice $S$ = 2 quantum magnet $Ba$ 2 $FeSi$ 2 $O$ 7 . This compound is a rare high-spin antiferromagnetic system with very strong easy-plane anisotropy, such that the interplay between spin level crossings and antiferromagnetic order can be studied. We observe a magnetic field-induced spin level crossing occurring within an ordered state. This spin level crossing appears to preserve the magnetic symmetry while producing a nonmonotonic dependence of the order parameter magnitude. The resulting temperature–magnetic field phase diagram exhibits two dome-shaped regions of magnetic order overlapping around 30 T. The ground state of the lower-field dome is predominantly a linear combination of |$S^z$ = 0$\rangle$ and |$S^z$ = 1$\rangle$ states, while the ground state of the higher-field dome can be approximated by a linear combination of |$S^z$ = 1$\rangle$ and |$S^z$ = 2$\rangle$ states. At 30 T, where the spin levels cross, the magnetization exhibits a slanted plateau, the magnetocaloric effect shows a broad hump, and the electric polarization shows a weak slope change. We determined the detailed magnetic phase boundaries and the spin level crossings using measurements of magnetization, electric polarization, and the magnetocaloric effect in pulsed magnetic fields to 60 T. Furthermore, we calculate these properties using a mean-field theory based on direct products of SU(5) coherent states and find good agreement. Finally, we measure and calculate the magnetically induced electric polarization that reflects magnetic ordering and spin level crossings. This multiferroic behavior provides another avenue for detecting phase boundaries and symmetry changes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Crystal structure and physical properties of Yb 2 In and Eu 2–x Yb x In alloys

While binary R E 2 In , where R E = rare earth , have been reported a few decades ago, recent investigations revealed intriguing new physical insights. For instance, the discovery of a nearly ideal first-order ferromagnetic transition in Eu 2 In calls for further exploration of structures and properties of R E 2 In , in particular for the least-documented R E = Eu and Yb cases. In this work, we investigate Eu 2 – x Yb x In pseudobinaries with nominal values of x = 0.25 , 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2 by powder x-ray diffraction (including as function of temperature from 100 to 375 K for Yb 2 In ), magnetization (5–300 K), as well as electrical resistivity (5–300 K) and calorimetric (2–150 K) measurements for Yb 2 In . Compared to other RE , Yb or Eu always raise challenging questions linked to their valence states. From average atomic volume, Yb is anticipated to be divalent in Yb 2 In , at least between 100 and 375 K, which is in line with the absence of 4 f magnetism. In agreement with x-ray diffraction and magnetization data, the resistivity of Yb 2 In is rather featureless and typical of a metal. Establishing Yb 2 In as a nonmagnetic isostructural reference for Eu 2 In allows one to use its heat capacity to revisit that of the latter, and get experimental insights into the exceptional magnetocaloric effect of the compound with Eu. In particular, we show that a third of the total magnetic entropy ( S m ≈ 35.6 J mo l – 1 K – 1 at T = 100 K ) is concentrated in a 3 K temperature window around the T C of Eu 2 In . Starting from the ferromagnetic compound Eu 2 In [ T C = 55.2 ( 5 ) K ] , we show that Yb substitutions in Eu 2 – x Yb x In lead to a decrease in both the Curie temperature [ T C = 41 ( 2 ) and 32(2) K for x = 0.25 and 0.5] and magnetic saturation, while weakening the first-order character of the transition as x increases. A significant isothermal entropy change of 5.1 ( 4 ) J mo l – 1 K – 1 for Δ B = 2 T is found at 44 K in Eu 1.75 Yb 0.25 In , demonstrating that the giant magnetocaloric effect of Eu 2 In can be tuned to lower temperatures by Yb substitutions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Competing magnetic states in multiferroic BaYFeO 4 : A high magnetic field study

Spin-driven ferroelectricity phenomena have drawn great interest in the scientific community due to potential application in spintronics and their complex physical mechanisms. A noticeable example of this is multiferroic BaYFeO 4 that exhibits an unconventional magnetoelectric (ME) coupling due to the uncorrelated behavior of the ferroelectric and cycloidal states under an applied magnetic field. To shed more light on this spin-driven ME effect, a high-quality sample of BaYFeO 4 was synthesized by a standard solid-state reaction method, and its high-field (up to 9 T) magnetic properties have been systematically investigated by means of magnetometry, magnetocaloric effect, and Mössbauer measurements over a wide temperature range (5–400 K). In addition, its crystal and magnetic structures have been studied using x-ray and neutron powder diffraction. Results obtained in this work indicate that Fe spins form a long-range spin density wave (SDW) antiferromagnetic (AFM) order at $T_{\text{N1}}$ ~ 50K, which transforms into the cycloidal AFM order at $T_{\text{N2}}$ ~ 35K. A spin-glass-like state emerges below $T^\ast$ ~ 17K, and coexists with the long-range cycloidal AFM one in this temperature range. Magnetocaloric and Mössbauer measurements consistently confirm the robustness of both the long-range SDWand cycloidal AFM orders under applied magnetic fields up to 6 T, whereas the spin-glass state is converted into the ferromagnetic (FM) state when the applied magnetic field exceeds 1 T. These findings pinpoint the fact that the magnetic field evolution of spin correlations from the AFM to FM character in the spin-glass state is responsible for the magnetic field dependence of ferroelectricity in BaYFeO 4 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Active magnetic regenerative cooling with smaller magnets

Magnetocaloric heat pumping near room temperature, a.k.a. magnetic cooling, relies on the active regenerator cycle to achieve functional temperature spans and realize economic and societal benefits promised by this emerging solid-state cooling technology. The cycle itself depends upon synchronizing oscillating flow of a heat transfer fluid through a solid porous active material matrix, or the refrigerant, with periods when the refrigerant is in the highest available (field-on) and in nearly zero (field-off) magnetic fields to accomplish heat transfer. With this in mind, in this work we analyze varying flow and magnetic field wave forms and the timing between when the fluid is pumped and when the magnetic field is turned on and off. We demonstrate that the volume and the cost of permanent magnet generating the field changes can be cut nearly in half with little to no effect on the device temperature span and cooling power normalized by the refrigerant mass.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tunable structural and magnetic properties of NiAs-type Mn x Sb (1.00≤x≤1.30) compounds

Mn-based alloys can exhibit a variety of magnetic properties related to their tunable exchange interactions. Here, structural and magnetic properties of hexagonal NiAs-type Mn x Sb (1.00≤x≤1.30) compounds are studied with a combination of X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and magnetic measurements. It is found that the magnetization, Curie temperature, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Mn x Sb compounds can be tuned by controlling Mn concentration and doping at interstitial (2d) sites. With increasing Mn concentration, magnetic moments of Mn atoms decrease and deviate gradually from the ab-plane to the c-axis for 1.20≤x≤1.22 at room temperature, which leads to a decrease of the Curie temperature T c and the spin reorientation temperature T SR . By doping with nonmagnetic elements, a substantial room-temperature magnetocaloric effect without magnetic hysteresis was achieved for Mn 1.12 Zr 0.1 Sb compound, which is highly beneficial to the practical magnetic refrigeration application.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Synthesis and magnetic properties of LaFe 13- x - y M x Si y N 3 nitrides

Here, single-phase LaFe 13-x-y M x Si y N 3 compounds (M = Mn) were synthesized by subjecting intermetallic precursors to the ammonia flow at 623 K for 4 h. The nitrides derived from Si-poor (y ≤ 3) cubic intermetallics retain the NaZn 13 -type crystal structure and show considerable (~3 %) lattice expansion compared to the nitrogen-free materials. The temperatures of the magnetic ordering transitions, all of which are second order, increase by ~ 200 K as a result of nitrogenation, and all nitrides exhibit rather weak and broad magnetocaloric effects. The nitrides are stable below 750 K, but they begin to lose nitrogen above this temperature, fully decomposing above 1050 K. The nitrogenation of the tetragonal LaFe 9 Si 4 results in the decomposition of the intermetallic phase and formation of the Fe 3 N compound together with unidentified amorphous phase(s).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Bulk-like first-order magnetoelastic transition in FeRh particles

Near-equiatomic, chemically-ordered iron-rhodium (FeRh) alloy is a fundamentally interesting material that may become useful in niche applications making use of its unique magneto functional phenomena, for example, the giant inverse magnetocaloric effect near room temperature that is associated with a sharp first-order magnetic phase transition. The nearly discontinuous antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transformation in bulk FeRh is well-known; however, the transition broadens considerably in fine particles and films with thickness less than 50 nm, precluding their potential applications. Here, we report an abrupt, bulk-like first-order magnetoelastic transformation in powders consisting of sub-micron particles of nearly equiatomic FeRh compound synthesized via solid-state mechanochemical co-reduction of FeF 2 and RhCl3 and subsequent heat treatments. In this work, we demonstrate that annealing at temperatures ranging from 600 °C to 800 °C enables tailoring phase content, particle size, and magnetic properties of the powders. A maximum magnetic-field-induced entropy change of ~10 J/kg K at μ0ΔH = 1 T has been achieved in powders annealed at 800 °C. The retention of extraordinary responsiveness in sub-micron particles of FeRh is likely to open doors for system component fabrication using additive manufacturing methods, along with new opportunities to employ FeRh in theranostics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Magnetization distribution in Cu 0.6 Mn 2.4 Ge 2 ferromagnet from polarized and non-polarized neutron powder diffraction aided by density-functional theory calculations

The crystal structure and magnetic properties of Cu 0.6 Mn 2.4 Ge 2 have been re-investigated by a combination of extensive magnetic measurements and neutron scattering experiments, aided by electronic structure calculations. The material is found to be a soft ferromagnet with the ordering temperature T C = 316 K. The magnetocaloric effect evaluated from field-dependent magnetization isotherms is equal to 1.2 J/(kg·K) and 2.5 J/(kg·K) under the maximum applied magnetic field of 2 T and 5 T, respectively. The compound crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6 3 /mmc. A complex structural disorder necessitated testing of several disorder models against the results of non-polarized and polarized neutron scattering experiments and magnetization measurements. Simulations at the density-functional theory level were also performed to identify the most robust solution that properly described the data observed. The final magnetic structure model reveals non-equal magnetic moments on the Mn1 and Mn2 atoms (2.29(9) µ B and 2.7(1) µ B , respectively) and the presence of vacancies and minor Cu substitution defects in both Mn sites. The work demonstrates how the non-polarized and polarized neutron scattering methods can be combined with electronic structure calculations to establish the microscopic structure of magnetic materials with complex crystallographic disorder.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Study on the magnetothermal properties of the D y 1 - x T b x A l 2 series of compounds

Here, in this work, we developed a theoretical model Hamiltonian, in the mean field approximation, to describe the magnetic and magnetocaloric behavior of the series of compounds Dy 1-x Tb x Al 2 (x = 0.00, 0.15, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40 and 0.75). We adjusted the exchange parameters λ DyDy , λ TbTb , and λ DyTb to obtain the spin reorientation temperatures (T SR ) and the critical temperature (T C ) for each compound in the series. The results obtained by the Hamiltonian model agree satisfactorily with the experimental results. The heat capacity curves with and without an applied magnetic field, adiabatic temperature variation and isothermal entropy variation were modeled and compared with the experimental data. As the experimental results show, our model was also able to reproduce the change in the spin reorientation process: a first order spin reorientation transition appears for concentrations x = 0.15, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, and no spin reorientation transitions after x = 0.40.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Field-tuned ferroquadrupolar quantum phase transition in the insulator TmVO 4

We report results of low-temperature heat-capacity, magnetocaloric-effect, and neutron-diffraction measurements of TmVO 4 , an insulator that undergoes a continuous ferroquadrupolar phase transition associated with local partially filled 4 f orbitals of the thulium (Tm 3 + ) ions. The ferroquadrupolar transition, a realization of Ising nematicity, can be tuned to a quantum critical point by using a magnetic field oriented along the c axis of the tetragonal crystal lattice, which acts as an effective transverse field for the Ising-nematic order. In small magnetic fields, the thermal phase transition can be well described by using a semiclassical mean-field treatment of the transverse-field Ising model. However, in higher magnetic fields, closer to the field-tuned quantum phase transition, subtle deviations from this semiclassical behavior are observed, which are consistent with expectations of quantum fluctuations. Although the phase transition is driven by the local 4 f degrees of freedom, the crystal lattice still plays a crucial role, both in terms of mediating the interactions between the local quadrupoles and in determining the critical scaling exponents, even though the phase transition itself can be described via mean field. In particular, bilinear coupling of the nematic order parameter to acoustic phonons changes the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the former in a fundamental way, resulting in different critical behavior of the nematic transverse-field Ising model, as compared to the usual case of the magnetic transverse-field Ising model. Our results establish TmVO 4 as a model material and electronic nematicity as a paradigmatic example for quantum criticality in insulators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamic re-equilibration controlled multi-step transformations in (Mn, Fe) 2 (P, Si) alloys

In (Mn, Fe) 2 (P, Si) alloys crystallographic first-order phase transformations enable strong coupling of magnetic and entropic properties, potentially leading to high-efficiency energy generation and refrigeration applications. Although hysteresis losses that limit these applications can be reduced through careful control of alloy composition, compositional tuning can also unfavorably influence transformation temperatures and magnetocaloric coupling strength. Hence, exploration of additional processing variables enabling independent control of transformation properties is crucial. In this work, we investigate the role of thermal history as an additional processing variable, exploiting thermally-activated mechanisms to control properties of non-diffusive transformations in (Mn, Fe) 2 (P, Si) alloys. In so doing, we report an unusual transformation-splitting phenomenon following annealing at intermediate times, where a single well-defined magneto-structural transformation evolves towards a multi-step transformation with individual steps occurring at multiple distinct temperatures. Here, on longer annealing at the same temperatures, single-step transformation behavior is recovered. Through additional magnetic and crystallographic characterization, we show that the thermal history-controlled multi-step behavior results from sluggish thermally-activated diffusion. The two-step transformation corresponds to non-equilibrium bimodal composition distributions in the transforming phase, and these develop through a dynamic re-equilibration process as the alloy passes relatively slowly between different thermal equilibria. Together, these results suggest that thermal history primarily controls the transformation properties of (Mn, Fe) 2 (P, Si) alloys indirectly through the composition of one or more transforming phases. Additional investigations are needed to develop thermal history processing for decoupling hysteresis control from other transformation properties.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Free-energy analysis of the nonhysteretic first-order phase transition of Eu 2 In

Binary intermetallic Eu 2 In was recently reported to exhibit a giant anhysteretic magnetocaloric effect due to a first-order magnetic phase transition between paramagnetic and ferromagnetic states. Experimentally, the transition occurs with a small phase volume change, ΔV/V, of approximately 0.1% around T C of ca. 55 K. We representmagnetic and computemagnetocaloric properties of a Eu 2 In compound using a microscopic description based on a model Hamiltonian that takes into account magnetic exchange and magnetoelastic interactions. In the model the thermodynamic nature of the transition is conveniently represented by a single magnetoelastic interaction parameter. We report a good agreement between the theoretical results and earlier published experimental data confirms the effectiveness of our approach.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magnetic field-temperature phase diagram of the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ triangular lattice antiferromagnet KYbSe 2

A quantum spin liquid (QSL) is a state of matter characterized by fractionalized quasiparticle excitations, quantum entanglement, and a lack of long-range magnetic order. However, QSLs have evaded definitive experimental observation. Several Yb 3+ -based triangular lattice antiferromagnets with effective 𝑆 = $\frac{1}{2}$ have been suggested to stabilize the QSL state as the ground state. Here, in this work, we build a comprehensive magnetic temperature phase diagram of a high-quality single crystalline KYbSe 2 via heat capacity and magnetocaloric effect down to 30 mK with magnetic field applied along the 𝑎 axis. At zero magnetic field, we observe the magnetic long-range order at 𝑇 N =0.29 K entering 120 degrees ordered state in heat capacity, consistent with neutron scattering studies. Analysis of the low-temperature (𝑇) specific heat (𝐶) at zero magnetic field indicates linear 𝑇 dependence of 𝐶/𝑇 and a broad hump of 𝐶/𝑇 in the proximate QSL region above 𝑇 N . By applying magnetic field, we observe the up-up-down phase with 1/3 magnetization plateau and oblique phases, in addition to two new phases. These observations strongly indicate that while KYbSe 2 closely exhibits characteristics resembling an ideal triangular lattice, deviations may exist, such as the effect of the next-nearest-neighbor exchange interaction, calling for careful consideration for spin Hamiltonian modeling. Further investigations into tuning parameters, such as chemical pressure, could potentially induce an intriguing QSL phase in the material.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Out-of-plane magnetic phase diagram of the Kitaev quantum magnet Na 2 Co 2 TeO 6

We have investigated the magnetic properties and mapped out the phase diagram of the honeycomb magnet Na 2⁢ Co 2 ⁢TeO 6 with Co 3d 7 in out-of-plane magnetic fields. This material has previously been proposed to show nearest-neighbor Kitaev interactions between Co spins and maybe even Kitaev quantum spin liquid behavior in high fields. At 0.01 T, we observe a thermal phase transition at T N = 27K, transitioning from a paramagnetic state to a canonical ferrimagnetic state. Upon increasing the magnetic field, a spin-floplike phase transition occurred before saturation of J = 1/2 between 10 K and T N . Below 10 K, a peak-dip-peak structure emerges between 10 and 17 T in the magnetic susceptibility (d⁢M/⁢dH) before the magnetic saturation, reminiscent of magnetization plateau behavior. The measurement of the magnetocaloric effect also shows dip-peak-dip behavior in this field range. Our data can be explained by an XXZ model with a single ion anisotropy and possibly small Kitaev and Γ exchange interactions. Finally, we also determined the magnetization saturation field that helps constrain the energy scale of the exchange interactions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗