Kinetic-arrest-induced phase coexistence and metastability in (Mn,Fe)2(P,Si)

Journal article (2016)

Authors

X.F. Miao RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy - AS
Y. Mitsui Kagoshima University
A.I. Dugulan RID/TS/Technici Pool
L. Caron RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy - AS , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
P. Manuel ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
K. Koyama Kagoshima University
K. Takahashi Tohoku University
N.H. van Dijk RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy - AS
E.H. Brück RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy - AS
Research Group
RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy (AS) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2016 X.F. Miao, Y. Mitsui, A.I. Dugulan, L. Caron, N. V. Thang, P. Manuel, K. Koyama, K. Takahashi, N.H. van Dijk, E.H. Brück
DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.94.094426
More Info
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Published Date

22-09-2016

Language

English

Reuse Rights

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Faculty

Applied Sciences

Department

RST/Radiation, Science and Technology

Research Group

RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy

Abstract

Neutron diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetometry, and in-field x-ray diffraction are employed to investigate the magnetoelastic phase transition in hexagonal (Mn,Fe)2(P,Si) compounds. (Mn,Fe)2(P,Si) compounds undergo for certain compositions a second-order paramagnetic (PM) to a spin-density-wave (SDW) phase transition before further transforming into a ferromagnetic (FM) phase via a first-order phase transition. The SDW-FM transition can be kinetically arrested, causing the coexistence of FM and untransformed SDW phases at low temperatures. Our in-field x-ray diffraction and magnetic relaxation measurements clearly reveal the metastability of the untransformed SDW phase. This unusual magnetic configuration originates from the strong magnetoelastic coupling and the mixed magnetism in hexagonal (Mn,Fe)2(P,Si) compounds.