No Arabic abstract
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 compounds 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 $Pnma(0b0)00s$ 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
Small single crystals of Rb$_3$Ni$_2$(NO$_3$)$_7$ were obtained by crystallization from anhydrous nitric acid solution of rubidium nitrate and nickel nitrate hexahydrate. The basic elements of the crystal structure of this new compound are isolated spin-1 two-leg ladders of Ni$^{2+}$-ions connected by (NO$_3$)$^-$ groups. The experimental data show the absence of long range magnetic order at T $geq 2$~K. LDA+U calculations and the detailed analysis of the experimental data, i.e. of the magnetic susceptibility, the specific heat in magnetic fields up to 9~T, the magnetization, and of the high-frequency electron spin resonance data, enable quantitative estimates of the relevant parameters of the $S=1$ ladders in Rb$_3$Ni$_2$(NO$_3$)$_7$ . The rung-coupling $J_1 = 10.5$~K, the leg-coupling $J_2=1.6$~K, and the uniaxial anisotropy $|A| = 179$~GHz are obtained. The scenario of spin liquid quantum ground state is further corroborated by quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the magnetic susceptibility.
Magnetic properties and underlying magnetic models of the synthetic A$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4)_3$ fedotovite (A = K) and puninite (A = Na) minerals, as well as the mixed euchlorine-type NaKCu$_3$O(SO$_4)_3$ are reported. We show that all these compounds contain magnetic Cu$_6$ hexamer units, which at temperatures below about 100 K act as single spin-1 entities. Weak interactions between these magnetic molecules lead to long-range order below $T_N$ = 3.4 K (A = Na), 4.7 K (A = NaK), and about 3.0 K (A = K). The formation of the magnetic order is elucidated by ab initio calculations that reveal two-dimensional inter-hexamer interactions within crystallographic $bc$ planes. This model indicates the presence of a weakly distorted square lattice of $S=1$ magnetic ions and challenges the earlier description of the A$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4)_3$ minerals in terms of Haldane spin chains.
We report the magnetic structure of room-temperature-stable, monoclinic Mn$_3$As$_2$ at 3 K and 250 K using neutron powder diffraction measurements. From magnetometry data, the Curie temperature of Mn$_3$As$_2$ was confirmed to be around 270 K. Calorimetry analysis showed the presence of another transition at 225 K. At 270 K, Mn$_3$As$_2$ undergoes a $k = 0$ ferrimagnetic ordering in the magnetic space group $C2/m$ (#12.58) with Mn moments pointing along $b$. Below 225 K, there is a canting of Mn moments in the $ac$ plane which produces a multi-$k$ non-collinear magnetic structure in space group $C2/c$ (#15.85). The components of Mn moments along $b$ follow $k=0$ ordering and the components along $a$ and $c$ have $k = [0 0 frac{1}{2}]$ propagation vector. The change in the magnetic ground state with temperature provides a deeper insight into the factors that govern magnetic ordering in Mn-As compounds.
We report the design, synthesis, structure, and properties of two complex layered phosphide nitrides, $Ak$Th$_2$Mn$_4$P$_4$N$_2$ ($Ak$ = Rb, Cs), which contain anti-fluorite-type [Mn$_2$P$_2$] bilayers separated by fluorite-type [Th2N2] layers as a result of the intergrowth between AkMn$_2$P$_2$ and ThMnPN. The new compounds are featured with an intrinsic hole doping associated with the interlayer charge transfer and a built-in chemical pressure from the [Th$_2$N$_2$] layers, both of which are reflected by the changes in the lattice and the atomic position of phosphorus. The measurements of magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and specific heat indicate existence of local moments as well as itinerant electrons in relation with d-p hybridizations. The expected dominant antiferromagnetic interactions with enhanced d-p hybridizations were demonstrated by the first-principles calculations only when additional Coulomb repulsions are included. The density of states at the Fermi level derived from the specific-heat analysis are 3.5 and 7.5 times of the calculated ones for Ak = Rb and Cs, respectively, suggesting strong electron correlations in the title compounds.
Naturally occurring spin-valve-type magnetoresistance (SVMR), recently observed in Sr2FeMoO6 samples, suggests the possibility of decoupling the maximal resistance from the coercivity of the sample. Here we present the evidence that SVMR can be engineered in specifically designed and fabricated core-shell nanoparticle systems, realized here in terms of soft magnetic Fe3O4 as the core and hard magnetic insulator CoFe2O4 as the shell materials. We show that this provides a magnetically switchable tunnel barrier that controls the magnetoresistance of the system, instead of the magnetic properties of the magnetic grain material, Fe3O4, and thus establishing the feasibility of engineered SVMR structures.