Abstract One-dimensional c -axis-aligned BaZrO 3 (BZO) nanorods are regarded as strong one-dimensional artificial pinning centers (1D-APCs) in BZO-doped YaBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (BZO/YBCO) nanocomposite films. However, a microstructure analysis has revealed a defective, oxygen-deficient YBCO column around the BZO 1D-APCs due to the large lattice mismatch of ∼7.7% between the BZO (3a = 1.26 nm) and YBCO (c = 1.17 nm), which has been blamed for the reduced pinning efficiency of BZO 1D-APCs. Herein, we report a dynamic lattice enlargement approach on the tensile strained YBCO lattice during the BZO 1D-APCs growth to induce c -axis elongation of the YBCO lattice up to 1.26 nm near the BZO 1D-APC/YBCO interface via Ca/Cu substitution on single Cu-O planes of YBCO, which prevents the interfacial defect formation by reducing the BZO/YBCO lattice mismatch to ∼1.4%. Specifically, this is achieved by inserting thin Ca 0.3 Y 0.7 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (CaY-123) spacers as the Ca reservoir in 2–6 vol.% BZO/YBCO nanocomposite multilayer (ML) films. A defect-free, coherent BZO 1D-APC/YBCO interface is confirmed in transmission electron microscopy and elemental distribution analyses. Excitingly, up to five-fold enhancement of J c ( B ) at magnetic field B = 9.0 T// c -axis and 65 K–77 K was obtained in the ML samples as compared to their BZO/YBCO single-layer (SL) counterpart’s. This has led to a record high pinning force density F p together with significantly enhanced B max at which F p reaches its maximum value F p,max for BZO 1D-APCs at B // c -axis. At 65 K, the F p,max ∼158 GN m −3 and B max ∼ 8.0 T for the 6% BZO/YBCO ML samples represent a significant enhancement over F p,max ∼ 36.1 GN m −3 and B max ∼ 5.0 T for the 6% BZO/YBCO SL counterparts. This result not only illustrates the critical importance of a coherent BZO 1D-APC/YBCO interface in the pinning efficiency, but also provides a facile scheme to achieve such an interface to restore the pristine pinning efficiency of the BZO 1D-APCs.
more »
« less
This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2024
High Curie temperature ferromagnetic structures of (Sb2Te3)1−x(MnSb2Te4)x with x = 0.7–0.8
Abstract Magnetic topological materials are promising for realizing novel quantum physical phenomena. Among these, bulk Mn-rich MnSb 2 Te 4 is ferromagnetic due to Mn Sb antisites and has relatively high Curie temperatures (T C ), which is attractive for technological applications. We have previously reported the growth of materials with the formula (Sb 2 Te 3 ) 1−x (MnSb 2 Te 4 ) x , where x varies between 0 and 1. Here we report on their magnetic and transport properties. We show that the samples are divided into three groups based on the value of x (or the percent septuple layers within the crystals) and their corresponding T C values. Samples that contain x < 0.7 or x > 0.9 have a single T C value of 15–20 K and 20–30 K, respectively, while samples with 0.7 < x < 0.8 exhibit two T C values, one (T C1 ) at ~ 25 K and the second (T C2 ) reaching values above 80 K, almost twice as high as any reported value to date for these types of materials. Structural analysis shows that samples with 0.7 < x < 0.8 have large regions of only SLs, while other regions have isolated QLs embedded within the SL lattice. We propose that the SL regions give rise to a T C1 of ~ 20 to 30 K, and regions with isolated QLs are responsible for the higher T C2 values. Our results have important implications for the design of magnetic topological materials having enhanced properties.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2112550
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10422399
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 13
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
The ternary manganese pnictide phases, MnAs 1− x Sb x , are of interest for magnetic refrigeration and waste heat recovery due to their magnetocaloric properties, maximized at the Curie temperature ( T C ), which varies from 580–240 K, depending on composition. Nanoparticles potentially enable application in microelectronics (cooling) or graded composites that can operate over a wide temperature range, but manganese pnictides are synthetically challenging to realize as discrete nanoparticles and their fundamental magnetic properties have not been extensively studied. Accordingly, colloidal synthesis methods were employed to target discrete MnAs x Sb 1− x nanoparticles ( x = 0.1–0.9) by arrested precipitation reactions of Mn 2 (CO) 10 with (C 6 H 5 ) 3 AsO and (C 6 H 5 ) 3 Sb in coordinating solvents. The MnAs x Sb 1− x particles are spherical in morphology with average diameters 10–13 nm (standard deviations <20% based on transmission electron microscopy analysis). X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy measurements on ensembles showed that all phases had an excess of Sb relative to the targeted composition, whereas energy dispersive spectroscopic mapping data of single particles revealed that the nanoparticles are inhomogeneous, adopting a core–shell structure, with the amorphous shell rich in Mn and O (and sometimes Sb) while the crystalline core is rich in Mn, As, and Sb. Magnetization measurements of the nanoparticle ensemble demonstrated the presence of both ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases. By combining the magnetization measurements with precision chemical mapping and simple modeling, we were able to unambiguously attribute ferromagnetism to the MnAs x Sb 1− x crystalline core, whereas paramagnetism was attributed to the amorphous shell. Magnetization measurements at variable temperatures were used to determine the superparamagnetic transition of the nanoparticles, although for some compositions and particle sizes the blocking temperature exceeded room temperature. Preliminary magnetic studies also revealed a conventional dependence between core size and coercivity, in spite of variable compositions of the nanoparticles, an unexpected result.more » « less
-
more » « less
Abstract The intrinsic magnetic topological insulator, Mn(Bi1−xSbx)2Te4, has been identified as a Weyl semimetal with a single pair of Weyl nodes in its spin-aligned strong-field configuration. A direct consequence of the Weyl state is the layer dependent Chern number,
$$C$$ $$C$$ $$C$$ -
Abstract This work examines the pinning enhancement in BaZrO 3 (BZO) +Y 2 O 3 doubly-doped (DD) YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) nanocomposite multilayer (DD-ML) films. The film consists of two 10 nm thin Ca 0.3 Y 0.7 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (CaY-123) spacers stacking alternatively with three BZO + Y 2 O 3 /YBCO layers of 50 nm each in thickness that contain 3 vol% of Y 2 O 3 and BZO doping in the range of 2–6 vol%. Enhanced magnetic vortex pinning and improved pinning isotropy with respect to the orientation of magnetic field (B) have been achieved in the DD-ML samples at lower BZO doping as compared to that in the single-layer counterparts (DD-SL) without the CaY-123 spacers. For example, the pinning force density ( F p ) of ∼58 GNm −3 in 2 vol.% of DD-ML film is ∼110% higher than in 2 vol% of DD-SL at 65 K and B // c -axis, which is attributed to the improved pinning efficiency by c -axis aligned BZO nanorods through diffusion of Calcium (Ca) along the tensile-strained channels at BZO nanorods/YBCO interface for improvement of the interface microstructure and hence pinning efficiency of BZO nanorods. An additional benefit is in the considerably improved J c ( θ ) and reduced J c anisotropy in the former over the entire range of the B orientations. However, at higher BZO doping, the BZO nanorods become segmented and misoriented, which may change the Ca diffusion pathways and reduce the benefit of Ca in improving the pinning efficiency of BZO nanorods.more » « less
-
more » « less
Abstract Many topological semimetals are known to exhibit exceptional electronic properties, which are the fundamental basis for design of novel devices and further applications. Materials containing the structural motif of a square net are known to frequently be topological semimetals. In this work, the synthesis and structural characterization of the square‐net‐based magnetic topological semimetal candidates GdSb
x Te2−x −δ (0,δ indicating the vacancy level) are reported. The structural evolution of the series with Sb substitution is studied, finding a transition between a simple tetragonal square‐net structure to complex superstructure formations due to the presence of charge density waves. The structural modulations coincide with a significant modification of the magnetic order. This work thus establishes GdSbx Te2−x −δ as a platform to study the interplay between crystal symmetry, band filling, charge density wave, and magnetism in a topological semimetal candidate.
