Neutron diffraction measurements have been performed on a powder sample of BaMn2As2 over the temperature T range from 10 K to 675 K. These measurements demonstrate that this compound exhibits collinear antiferromagnetic ordering below the Neel temper
ature T_N = 625(1) K. The ordered moment mu = 3.88(4) mu_B/Mn at T = 10 K is oriented along the c axis and the magnetic structure is G-type, with all nearest-neighbor Mn moments antiferromagnetically aligned. The value of the ordered moment indicates that the oxidation state of Mn is Mn^{2+} with a high spin S = 5/2. The T dependence of mu suggests that the magnetic transition is second-order in nature. In contrast to the closely related AFe2As2 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu) compounds, no structural distortion is observed in the magnetically ordered state of BaMn2As2.
Single crystals of BaRh_2As_2 have been synthesized from a Pb flux. We present the room temperature crystal structure, single crystal x-ray diffraction measurements as a function of temperature T, anisotropic magnetic susceptibility chi versus T, ele
ctrical resistivity in the ab-plane rho versus T, Hall coefficient versus T and magnetic field H, and heat capacity C versus T measurements on the crystals. The single crystal structure determination confirms that BaRh_2As_2 forms in the tetragonal ThCr_2Si_2 type structure (space group I4/mmm) with lattice parameters a = b = 4.0564(6)AA and c = 12.797(4) AA. Band structure calculations show that BaRh_2As_2 should be metallic with a small density of states at the Fermi energy N(E_ F) = 3.49 states/eV f.u. (where f.u. equiv formula unit) for both spin directions. rho(T) data in the ab-plane confirm that the material is indeed metallic with a residual resistivity rho(2K) = 29 mu Omega cm, and with a residual resistivity ratio rho(310K)/rho(2K) = 5.3. The observed chi(T) is small (sim 10^{-5} cm^3/mol) and weakly anisotropic with chi_{ab}/chi_ c approx 2. The C(T) data indicate a small density of states at the Fermi energy with the low temperature Sommerfeld coefficient gamma = 4.7(9) mJ/mol K^2. There are no indications of superconductivity, spin density wave, or structural transitions between 2K and 300K. We compare the calculated density of states versus energy of BaRh_2As_2 with that of BaFe_2As_2.
Static magnetic susceptibility chi, ac susceptibility chi_{ac} and specific heat C versus temperature T measurements on polycrystalline samples of In2VO5 and chi and C versus T measurements on the isostructural, nonmagnetic compound In2TiO5 are repor
ted. A Curie-Wiess fit to the chi(T) data above 175 K for In2VO5 indicates ferromagnetic exchange between V^{4+} (S = 1/2) moments. Below 150 K the chi(T) data deviate from the Curie-Weiss behavior but there is no signature of any long range magnetic order down to 1.8 K. There is a cusp at 2.8 K in the zero field cooled (ZFC) chi(T) data measured in a magnetic field of 100 Oe and the ZFC and field cooled (FC) data show a bifurcation below this temperature. The frequency dependence of the chi_{ac}(T) data indicate that below 3 K the system is in a spin-glass state. The difference Delta C between the heat capacity of In2VO5 and In2TiO5 shows a broad anomaly peaked at 130 K. The entropy upto 300 K is more than what is expected for S = 1/2 moments. The anomaly in Delta C and the extra entropy suggests that there may be a structural change below 130 K in In2VO5.
