Specific heat measurements constitute one of the most powerful experimental methods to probe fundamental excitations in solids. After the proposition of Einsteins model, more than one century ago (Annalen der Physik textbf{22}, 180 (1907)), several t
heoretical models have been proposed to describe experimental results. Here we report on a detailed analysis of the two-peak specific heat anomalies observed in several materials. Employing a simple multilevel model, varying the spacing between the energy levels $Delta_i$ = $(E_i$ $-$ $E_{0})$ and the degeneracy of each energy level $g_i$, we derive the required conditions for the appearance of such anomalies. Our findings indicate that a ratio of $Delta_2$/$Delta_1$ $thickapprox$ 10 between the energy levels and a high degeneracy of one of the energy levels define the two-peaks regime in the specific heat. Our approach accurately matches recent experimental results. Furthermore, using a mean-field approach we calculate the specific heat of a degenerate Schottky-like system undergoing a ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition. Our results reveal that as the degeneracy is increased the Schottky maximum in the specific heat becomes narrow while the peak associated with the FM transition remains unaffected.
Charge-ordering phenomena have been highly topical over the last few years. A phase transition towards a charge ordered state has been observed experimentally in several classes of materials. Among them, many studies have been devoted to the family o
f quasi-one dimensional organic charge-transfer salts (TMTTF)$_2$X, where (TMTTF) stands for tetramethyltetrathiafulvalene and X for a monovalent anion (X = PF$_6$, AsF$_6$ and SbF$_6$). However, the relationship between the electron localization phenomena and the role of the lattice distortion in stabilizing the charge-ordering pattern is poorly documented in the literature. Here we present a brief overview of selected literature results with emphasis placed on recent thermal expansion experiments probing the charge-ordering transition of these salts.
We present a detailed low-temperature investigation of the statics and dynamics of the anions and methyl groups in the organic conductors (TMTSF)$_2$PF$_6$ and (TMTSF)$_2$AsF$_6$ (TMTSF : tetramethyl-tetraselenafulvalene). The 4 K neutron scattering
structure refinement of the fully deuterated (TMTSF)$_2$PF$_6$-D12 salt allows locating precisely the methyl groups at 4 K. This structure is compared to the one of the fully hydrogenated (TMTSF)$_2$PF$_6$-H12 salt previously determined at the same temperature. Surprisingly it is found that deuteration corresponds to the application of a negative pressure of 5 x 10$^2$ MPa to the H12 salt. Accurate measurements of the Bragg intensity show anomalous thermal variations at low temperature both in the deuterated PF$_6$ and AsF$_6$ salts. Two different thermal behaviors have been distinguished. Low-Bragg-angle measurements reflect the presence of low-frequency modes at characteristic energies {theta}$_E$ = 8.3 K and {theta}$_E$ = 6.7 K for the PF$_6$-D12 and AsF$_6$-D12 salts, respectively. These modes correspond to the low-temperature methyl group motion. Large-Bragg-angle measurements evidence an unexpected structural change around 55 K which probably corresponds to the linkage of the anions to the methyl groups via the formation of F...D-CD2 bonds observed in the 4 K structural refinement. Finally we show that the thermal expansion coefficient of (TMTSF)$_2$PF$_6$ is dominated by the librational motion of the PF$_6$ units. We quantitatively analyze the low-temperature variation of the lattice expansion via the contribution of Einstein oscillators, which allows us to determine for the first time the characteristic frequency of the PF6 librations: {theta}$_E$ = 50 K and {theta}$_E$ = 76 K for the PF$_6$-D12 and PF$_6$-H12 salts, respectively.
We report on a systematic study of the magnetic properties on single crystals of the solid solution Cs$_2$CuCl$_{4-x}$Br$_x$ (0 $leq$ x $leq$ 4), which include the two known end-member compounds Cs$_2$CuCl$_4$ and Cs$_2$CuBr$_4$, classified as quasi-
two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets with different degrees of magnetic frustration. By comparative measurements of the magnetic susceptibility $chi$($T$) on as many as eighteen different Br concentrations, we found that the inplane and out-of-plane magnetic correlations, probed by the position and height of a maximum in the magnetic susceptibility, respectively, do not show a smooth variation with x. Instead three distinct concentration regimes can be identified, which are separated by critical concentrations x$_{c1}$ = 1 and x$_{c2}$ = 2. This unusual magnetic behavior can be explained by considering the structural peculiarities of the materials, especially the distorted Cu-halide tetrahedra, which support a site-selective replacement of Cl- by Br- ions. Consequently, the critical concentrations x$_{c1}$ (x$_{c2}$) mark particularly interesting systems, where one (two) halidesublattice positions are fully occupied.
We report on synthesis, structural characterization, resistivity, magnetic and thermal expansion measurements on the as yet unexplored $delta$-phase of FeSe$_{1-x}$, here synthesized under ambient- (AP) and high-pressure (HP) conditions. We show that
in contrast to $beta$-FeSe$_{1-x}$, monophasic superconducting $delta$-FeSe$_{1-x}$ can be obtained in off-stoichiometric samples with excess Fe atoms preferentially residing in the van der Waals gap between the FeSe layers. The AP $delta$-FeSe$_{1-x}$ sample studied here ($T_c$ $simeq$ 8.5,K) possesses an unprecedented residual resistivity ratio RRR $simeq$ 16. Thermal expansion data reveal a small feature around $sim$90,K, which resembles the anomaly observed at the structural and magnetic transitions for other Fe-based superconductors, suggesting that some kind of magnetic state is formed also in FeSe. %indicative of a fluctuating magnetic ordering. For HP samples (RRR $simeq$ 3), the disorder within the FeSe layers is enhanced through the introduction of vacancies, the saturated magnetic moment of Fe is reduced and only spurious superconductivity is observed.
We report results of high-resolution measurements of the emph{c$^*$}-axis expansivity ($alpha_{c^{*}}$) at the charge-ordering (CO) transition for the quasi-1D (TMTTF)$_{2}$X compounds with X = SbF$_6$ and Br and make a comparison with previous resul
ts for the X = PF$_6$ and AsF$_6$ salts. For X = SbF$_6$, due to the screening of the long-range Coulomb forces, a sharp $lambda$-type anomaly is observed at $T_{CO}$, which contrasts with the step-like mean-field anomaly at $T_{CO}$ for PF$_6$ and AsF$_6$, where CO occurs in the Mott-Hubbard charge-localized regime. For the latter two salts, a negative contribution to $alpha_{c^{*}}$ is observed above $T_{CO}$. This feature is assigned to the anions rigid-unit modes, which become inactive for $T$ $<$ $T_{CO}$. Our $alpha_{c^{*}}$ results for the X = Br salt, where such rigid-unit modes are absent, reveal no traces of such negative contribution, confirming the model based on the anions rigid-unit modes for the X = PF$_6$ and AsF$_6$ salts.
The spin-liquid candidate $kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_{2}$Cu$_{2}$(CN)$_{3}$ has been studied by measuring the uniaxial expansion coefficients $alpha_{i}$, the specific heat, and magnetic susceptibility. Special emphasis was placed on the mysterious anomaly
around 6 K - a potential spin-liquid instability. Distinct and strongly anisotropic lattice effects have been observed at 6 K, clearly identifying this feature as a second-order phase transition. Owing to the large anomalies in $alpha_{i}$, the application of Gr{u}neisen scaling has enabled us to determine the corresponding specific heat contribution and the entropy release. Comparison of the latter with available spin models suggests that spin degrees of freedom alone cannot account for the phase transition. Scenarios, involving charge degrees of freedom, are discussed. charge degrees of freedom, are discussed.
High-resolution thermal expansion measurements have been performed for exploring the mysterious structureless transition in (TMTTF)$_{2}$X (X = PF$_{6}$ and AsF$_{6}$), where charge ordering at $T_{CO}$ coincides with the onset of ferroelectric order
. Particularly distinct lattice effects are found at $T_{CO}$ in the uniaxial expansivity along the interstack $textbf{textit{c*}}$-direction. We propose a scheme involving a charge modulation along the TMTTF stacks and its coupling to displacements of the counteranions X$^{-}$. These anion shifts, which lift the inversion symmetry enabling ferroelectric order to develop, determine the 3D charge pattern without ambiguity. Evidence is found for another anomaly for both materials at $T_{int}$ $simeq$ 0.6 $cdot$ $T_{CO}$ indicative of a phase transition related to the charge ordering.
