Dimer breaking and high-temperature ferromagnetism in LaCo2(Ge1-xPx)2
Abstract
We report the destabilization of the lattice collapsed phase of LaCo2Ge2 due to X-X (X=Ge1-xPx) dimer breaking in the LaCo2(Ge1-xPx)2 solid solution. The magnetic properties of the system are strongly affected. P substitution for Ge can first be understood as a simple band-filling effect that drives the system from a Pauli paramagnet to a ferromagnet for 0≤x≤0.7 . The ferromagnetic Curie temperature (TC) reaches 230 K for x=0.7 . For 0.7≤x≤1 , however, the extra electron donated by the P substitution is consumed in breaking the X-X dimers present, decreasing the layer-to-layer magnetic coupling and correspondingly suppressing TC .
- Publication:
-
Physical Review B
- Pub Date:
- November 2010
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2010PhRvB..82r0410J
- Keywords:
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- 75.30.-m;
- 61.50.Ks;
- 75.50.Cc;
- Intrinsic properties of magnetically ordered materials;
- Crystallographic aspects of phase transformations;
- pressure effects;
- Other ferromagnetic metals and alloys