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

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

Miao, X.F. (TU Delft RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy)
Mitsui, Y. (Kagoshima University)
Dugulan, A.I. (TU Delft RID/TS/Technici Pool)
Caron, L. (TU Delft RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy; Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids)
Thang, N. V.
Manuel, P. (ISIS Facility)
Koyama, K. (Kagoshima University)
Takahashi, K. (Tohoku University)
van Dijk, N.H. (TU Delft RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy)
Brück, E.H. (TU Delft RST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy)

2016-09-22

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.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:63a122ec-60ab-4c05-a12c-3103a54729b3

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.94.094426

1098-0121

Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics), 94 (9)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 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