arXiv subjects

Daniel P. Shoemaker

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel P. Shoemaker.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Evolution of magnetic properties in the normal spinel solid solution Mg(1-x)Cu(x)Cr2O4

We examine the evolution of magnetic properties in the normal spinel oxides Mg(1-x)Cu(x)Cr2O4 using magnetization and heat capacity measurements. The end-member compounds of the solid solution series have been studied in some detail because of their very interesting magnetic behavior. MgCr2O4 is a highly frustrated system that undergoes a first order structural transition at its antiferromagnetic ordering temperature. CuCr2O4 is tetragonal at room temperature as a result of Jahn-Teller active tetrahedral Cu^2+ and undergoes a magnetic transition at 135 K. Substitution of magnetic cations for diamagnetic Mg^2+ on the tetrahedral A site in the compositional series Mg(1-x)Cu(x)Cr2O4 dramatically affects magnetic behavior. In the composition range 0 < x < 0.3, the compounds are antiferromagnetic. A sharp peak observed at 12.5K in the heat capacity of MgCr2O4 corresponding to a magnetically driven first order structural transition is suppressed even for small x suggesting glassy disorder. Uncompensated magnetism - with open magnetization loops - develops for samples in the x range 0.43 < x < 1. Multiple magnetic ordering temperatures and large coercive fields emerge in the intermediate composition range 0.43 < x < 0.47. The Neel temperature increases with increasing x across the series while the value of the Curie-Weiss Theta decreases. A magnetic temperature-composition phase diagram of the solid solution series is presented.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Reverse Monte Carlo neutron scattering study of the "ordered-ice" oxide pyrochlore Pb2Ru2O6.5

We employ high-resolution total neutron scattering in conjunction with reverse Monte Carlo simulations to examine, in a detailed and unbiased manner, the crystal structure of the vacancy-ordered oxide pyrochlore Pb2Ru2O6.5 in light of its structural analogy with proton-ordering in the structures of ice. We find that the vacancy and the O' ion are completely ordered, and that the average structure in the F43m space group describes the vacancy ordering precisely. We complement these results with an examination of the Pb2+ lone pair network using density functional electronic structure calculations, and a comparison of the low-temperature lattice-only heat capacity of Pb2Ru2O6.5 with that of other related pyrochlores.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Double-percolation and magnetoresistance effects in ferromagnet-superconductor nanoparticle composites

We investigate transport and magnetotransport properties of binary networks composed of superconducting (MgB2) and ferromagnetic (CrO2 or LSMO) nanoparticles. While for the LSMO/MgB2 system a single percolation threshold is observed, for CrO2/MgB2 binary composites an anomalously high resistance state with two distinct percolation thresholds corresponding to conductor-insulator and superconductor-insulator transitions is found. The existence of this double percolation effect becomes possible when the interface conductance between the two different constituents is suppressed and the condition for the two thresholds PI + PII > 1 is satisfied. For MgB2 an unusually large value of the threshold is observed, which can be explained by the significant geometric disparity between nanoparticles of the two constituents, resulting in a large excluded volume for MgB2 nanoparticles. The scaling behavior near both thresholds is determined, with the two critical exponents identified: μ\approx 2.16 \pm 0.15 for the insulating-conducting transition on the CrO2 side and s = 1.37\pm 0.05 for the insulating - superconducting transition on the MgB2 side. We also measure the magnetoresistance for the entire series of CrO2/MgB2 samples, with a maximum of approximately 45% observed near the percolation threshold at liquid He temperatures.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Incoherent Bi off-centering in Bi2Ti2O7 and Bi2Ru2O7: Insulator versus metal

The cubic, stoichiometric oxide compounds Bi2Ti2O6O' (also written Bi2Ti2O7) and Bi2Ru2O6O' (also written Bi2Ru2O7) have in common lone-pair active Bi3+ cations on the pyrochlore A-site with a propensity to off-center. Unlike Bi2Ti2O6O', Bi2Ru2O6O' is a metal, so it is of interest to ask whether conduction electrons and/or involvement of Bi 6s states at the Fermi energy influence Bi3+ displacements. The Bi3+ off-centering in Bi2Ti2O6O' is incoherent as revealed in detail by reverse Monte Carlo analysis of total neutron scattering. Similar analysis of Bi2Ru2O6O' reveals incoherent off-centering as well, of smaller magnitude and with distinctly different orientational preference. Analysis of total scattering presented here shows that Bi in both compounds is entirely Bi3+. Disorder in Bi2Ti2O6O' has the effect of stabilizing valence while simultaneously providing space for the electronic lone pair. In Bi2Ru2O6O', off-centering is not required to satisfy valence, but is driven by the lone pair which is partially screened by conduction electrons.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Understanding complex magnetic order in disordered cobalt hydroxides through analysis of the local structure

In many ostensibly crystalline materials, unit-cell-based descriptions do not always capture the complete physics of the system due to disruption in long-range order. In the series of cobalt hydroxides studied here, Co(OH)$_{2-x}$(Cl)$_x$(H$_2$O)$_{n}$, magnetic Bragg diffraction reveals a fully compensated Néel state, yet the materials show significant and open magnetization loops. A detailed analysis of the local structure defines the aperiodic arrangement of cobalt coordination polyhedra. Representation of the structure as a combination of distinct polyhedral motifs explains the existence of locally uncompensated moments and provides a quantitative agreement with bulk magnetic measurements and magnetic Bragg diffraction.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2010

Total scattering descriptions of local and cooperative distortions in the oxide spinel (Mg,Cu)Cr2O4 with dilute Jahn-Teller ions

The normal spinel oxide MgCr2O4 is cubic at room temperature while the normal spinel CuCr2O4 is tetragonal as a consequence of the Jahn-Teller nature of Cu2+ on the tetrahedral sites. Despite different end-member structures, complete solid solutions of Mg_{1-x}Cu_xCr2O4 can be prepared that display a first-order structural transition with composition x = 0.43 at room temperature. Reverse Monte Carlo analysis of total neutron scattering on data acquired between 300 K and 15 K on samples with x = 0.10, 0.20, and 0.43 provides unbiased local and average structure descriptions of the samples, including an understanding of the transition from local Jahn-Teller distortions in the cubic phase to cooperative distortions that result in a tetragonal structure. Distributions of continuous symmetry measures help to understand and distinguish distorted and undistorted coordination around the tetrahedral site in the solid solutions. Magnetic exchange bias is observed in field-cooled hysteresis loops of samples with dilute Cu2+ concentration and in samples with tetragonal--cubic phase coexistence around 300 K.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2010

Real space investigation of structural changes at the metal-insulator transition in VO2

Synchrotron X-ray total scattering studies of structural changes in rutile VO2 at the metal-insulator transition temperature of 340 K reveal that monoclinic and tetragonal phases of VO2 coexist in equilibrium, as expected for a first-order phase transition. No evidence for any distinct intermediate phase is seen. Unbiased local structure studies of the changes in V--V distances through the phase transition, using reverse Monte Carlo methods, support the idea of phase coexistence and point to the high degree of correlation in the dimerized low-temperature structure. No evidence for short range V--V correlations that would be suggestive of local dimers is found in the metallic phase.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2009

Intrinsic exchange bias in Zn$_x$Mn$_{3-x}$O$_4$ ($x \leq 1$) solid solutions

Bulk specimens of the hetaerolite solid solution Zn$_x$Mn$_{3-x}$O$_4$, with $x$ = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 have been prepared as homogeneous, phase-pure polycrystalline samples as ascertained by neutron diffraction measurements. Samples with $x$ = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 exhibit shifted magnetic hysteresis loops at low temperature, characteristic of exchange bias typically seen in magnetic composites. We propose that the unusual magnetic behavior arises as a result of a nanoscale mixture of ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic regions that are distinct but lack long-range order. While some glassy behavior is seen in AC magnetic measurements, its magnitude is not sufficient to account for the observed dramatic exchange bias. Furthermore, isothermal and thermoremanent magnetization measurements distinguish this material from a pure spin glass. The title system offers insights into the alloying of a ferrimagnet Mn$_3$O$_4$ with an antiferromagnet ZnMn$_2$O$_4$ wherein distinct magnetic clusters grow and percolate to produce a smooth transition between competing orders.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2007

Exchange biasing of single-domain Ni nanoparticles spontaneously grown in an antiferromagnetic MnO matrix

Exchange biased composites of ferromagnetic single-domain Ni nanoparticles embedded within large grains of MnO have been prepared by reduction of Ni$_x$Mn$_{1-x}$O$_4$ phases in flowing hydrogen. The Ni precipitates are 15-30 nm in extent, and the majority are completely encased within the MnO matrix. The manner in which the Ni nanoparticles are spontaneously formed imparts a high ferromagnetic- antiferromagnetic interface/volume ratio, which results in substantial exchange bias effects. Exchange bias fields of up to 100 Oe are observed, in cases where the starting Ni content $x$ in the precursor Ni$_x$Mn$_{1-x}$O$_4$ phase is small. For particles of approximately the same size, the exchange bias leads to significant hardening of the magnetization, with the coercive field scaling nearly linearly with the exchange bias field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗