No Arabic abstract
The wealth of structural phases seen in the rare-earth disilicate compounds promises an equally rich range of interesting magnetic properties. We report on the crystal growth by the optical floating zone method of members of the rare-earth disilicate family, $R_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$ (with $R=$ Er, Ho, and Tm). Through a systematic study, we have optimised the growth conditions for Er$_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$. We have grown, for the first time using the floating zone method, crystal boules of Ho$_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$ and Tm$_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$ compounds. We show that the difficulties encountered in the synthesis of polycrystalline and single crystal samples are due to the similar thermal stability ranges of different rare-earth silicate compounds in the temperature-composition phase diagrams of the $R$-Si-O systems. The addition of a small amount of SiO$_{2}$ excess allowed the amount of impurity phases present in the powder samples to be minimised. The phase composition analysis of the powder X-ray diffraction data collected on the as-grown boules revealed that they were of single phase, except in the case of thulium disilicate, which comprised of two phases. All growths resulted in multi-grain boules, from which sizable single crystals could be isolated. The optimum conditions used for the synthesis and crystal growth of polycrystalline and single crystal $R_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$ materials are reported. Specific heat measurements of erbium and thulium disilicate compounds confirm an antiferromagnetic phase transition below $T_{mathrm{N}}=$ 1.8 K for D-type Er$_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$ and a Schottky anomaly centered around 3.5 K in C-type Tm$_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$, suggesting the onset of short-range magnetic correlations. Magnetic susceptibility data of E-type Ho$_{2}$Si$_{2}$O$_{7}$ reveals an antiferromagnetic ordering of the Ho spins below $T_mathrm{{N}}=$ 2.3 K.
We report a systematic study on the crystal growth of the rare-earth titanates $R_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ ($R$ = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Y, Er, Yb and Lu) and Y-doped Tb$_{2-x}$Y$_x$Ti$_2$O$_7$ ($x$ = 0.2 and 1) using an optical floating-zone method. High-quality single crystals were successfully obtained and the growth conditions were carefully optimized. The oxygen pressure was found to be the most important parameter and the appropriate ones are 0.1--0.4 MPa, depending on the radius of rare-earth ions. The growth rate is another parameter and was found to be 2.5--4 mm/h for different rare-earth ions. X-ray diffraction data demonstrated the good crystallinity of these crystals. The basic physical properties of these crystals were characterized by the magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements.
CaCo$_{2-y}$As$_2$ is an unusual itinerant magnet with signatures of extreme magnetic frustration. The conditions for establishing magnetic order in such itinerant frustrated magnets, either by reducing frustration or enhancing the Stoner parameter, is an open question. Here we use results from inelastic neutron scattering and magnetic susceptibility measurements and density functional theory calculations to show that hole doping in Ca(Co$_{1-x}$Fe$_{x}$)$_{2-y}$As$_{2}$ suppresses magnetic order by quenching the associated magnetic moment while maintaining the same level of magnetic frustration. The suppression is due to tuning the Fermi energy away from a peak in the electronic density of states originating from a flat conduction band. This results in the complete elimination of the magnetic moment by $xapprox0.25$, providing a clear example of a Stoner-like transition.
We report on optical studies of the thin films of multiferroic hexagonal (P.G. 6mm) rare-earth orthoferrites RFeO3 (R=Ho, Er, Lu) grown epitaxially on a (111)-surface of ZrO2(Y2O3) substrate. The optical absorption study in the range of 0.6-5.6 eV shows that the films are transparent below 1.9 eV; above this energy four broad intense absorption bands are distinguished. The absorption spectra are analyzed taking into account the unusual fivefold coordination of the Fe(3+) ion. Temperature dependence of the optical absorption at 4.9 eV shows anomaly at 124 K, which we attribute to magnetic ordering of iron sublattices.
Single crystals of the metallic Ruddlesden-Popper trilayer nickelates R$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$ (R=La, Pr) were successfully grown using an optical-image floating zone furnace under oxygen pressure (pO$_2$) of 20 bar for La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$ and 140 bar for Pr$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$. A combination of synchrotron and laboratory x-ray single crystal diffraction, high-resolution synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction and measurements of physical properties revealed that R$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$ (R=La, Pr) crystallizes in the monoclinic $P$2$_1$/$a$ (Z=2) space group at room temperature, and that a metastable orthorhombic phase ($Bmab$) can be trapped by post-growth rapid cooling. Both La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$ and Pr$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$ crystals undergo a metal-to-metal transition (MMT) below room temperature. In the case of Pr$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$, the MMT is found at ~157.6 K. For La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$, the MMT depends on the lattice symmetry: 147.5 K for $Bmab$ vs. 138.6 K for $P$2$_1$/$a$. Lattice anomalies were found at the MMT that, when considered together with the pronounced dependence of the transition temperature on subtle structural differences between $Bmab$ and $P$2$_1$/$a$ phases, demonstrates a not insignificant coupling between electronic and lattice degrees of freedom in these trilayer nickelates.
We have studied the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect in a polar antiferromagnet $alpha$-Cu$_{2}$V$_{2}$O$_{7}$ in contact with a Pt film. Below the antiferromagnetic transition temperature of $alpha$-Cu$_{2}$V$_{2}$O$_{7}$, spin Seebeck voltages whose magnetic field dependence is similar to that reported in antiferromagnetic MnF$_{2}$$mid$Pt bilayers are observed. Though a small weak-ferromagnetic moment appears owing to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in $alpha$-Cu$_{2}$V$_{2}$O$_{7}$, the magnetic field dependence of spin Seebeck voltages is found to be irrelevant to the weak ferromagnetic moments. The dependences of the spin Seebeck voltages on magnetic fields and temperature are analyzed by a magnon spin current theory. The numerical calculation of spin Seebeck voltages using magnetic parameters of $alpha$-Cu$_{2}$V$_{2}$O$_{7}$ determined by previous neutron scattering studies reveals that the magnetic-field and temperature dependences of the spin Seebeck voltages for $alpha$-Cu$_{2}$V$_{2}$O$_{7}$$mid$Pt are governed by the changes in magnon lifetimes with magnetic fields and temperature.