Ferromagnetism versus slow paramagnetic relaxation in Fe-doped Li3N

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • M. Fix - , Augsburg University (Author)
  • A. Jesche - , United States Department of Energy (Author)
  • S. G. Jantz - , Augsburg University (Author)
  • S. A. Braeuninger - , TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • H-H. Klauss - , Institute of Solid State and Materials Physics (Author)
  • R. S. Manna - , Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati (Author)
  • I. M. Pietsch - , Augsburg University (Author)
  • H. A. Hoeppe - , Augsburg University (Author)
  • P. C. Canfield - , Iowa State University (Author)

Abstract

We report on isothermal magnetization, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and magnetostriction as well as temperature-dependent alternating-current (ac) susceptibility, specific heat, and thermal expansion of single crystalline and polycrystalline Li-2(Li1-xFex)N with x = 0 and x approximate to 0.30. Magnetic hysteresis emerges at temperatures below T approximate to 50 K with coercivity fields of up to mu H-0 = 11.6 T at T = 2 K and magnetic anisotropy energies of 310 K (27 meV). The ac susceptibility is strongly frequency-dependent (f = 10-10 000 Hz) and reveals an effective energy barrier for spin reversal of Delta E approximate to 1100 K (90 meV). The relaxation times follow Arrhenius behavior for T > 25 K. ForT < 10 K, however, the relaxation times of tau approximate to 10(10) s are only weakly temperature-dependent, indicating the relevance of a quantum tunneling process instead of thermal excitations. The magnetic entropy amounts to more than 25 J mol(Fe)(-1)K(-1), which significantly exceeds R ln2, the value expected for the entropy of a ground-state doublet. Thermal expansion and magnetostriction indicate a weak magnetoelastic coupling in accordance with slow relaxation of the magnetization. The classification of Li-2(Li1-xFex)N as ferromagnet is stressed and contrasted with highly anisotropic and slowly relaxing paramagnetic behavior.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number064419
Number of pages11
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume97
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 23 Feb 2018
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85043754217

Keywords

Keywords

  • LITHIUM NITRIDE, HEAT-CAPACITY, MAGNETIZATION, GROWTH

Library keywords