Cause, Consequence, and Control of Ag Vacancies in BaAg2-xAs2

The impact of transition metal (Ag) deficiencies on the structural and transport properties of ThCr2Si2-type arsenides are investigated. We experimentally confirm a partial occupancy of Ag in BaAg2-xAs2, which can be predictably controlled within 0.053(5) ≤ x ≤ 0.19(1) by varying the quenching temperature during the crystal growth. Density functional theory calculations reveal that substoichiometric concentrations of Ag lower the density of states at the Fermi level, providing an electronic cause for the tendency of Ag to form vacancies. This vacancy concentration is linked to a characteristic kink in electrical resistivity that can be substantially shifted from 22 to 125 K and is established as the metric of a low-temperature structural phase transition (SPT) in BaAg2-xAs2. Along with electrical resistivity, the Seebeck coefficient and heat capacity for selected BaAg2-xAs2 samples are presented, which also exhibit anomalies due to the SPT.

Pressure driven magnetic order in Sr[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text]

The magnetic phase diagram of Sr[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] as a function of hydrostatic pressure and temperature is investigated by means of high pressure muon spin rotation, relaxation and resonance ([Formula: see text]SR). The weak pressure dependence for the [Formula: see text] compounds suggests that the rich phase diagram of Sr[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] as a function of x at ambient pressure may not solely be attributed to chemical pressure effects. The [Formula: see text] compound on the other hand reveals a high pressure dependence, where the long range magnetic order is fully suppressed at [Formula: see text] kbar, which seem to be a first order transition. In addition, an intermediate phase consisting of magnetic domains is formed above [Formula: see text] kbar where they co-exist with a magnetically disordered state. These domains are likely to be ferromagnetic islands (FMI) and consist of an high- (FMI-[Formula: see text]) and low-temperature (FMI-[Formula: see text]) region, respectively, separated by a phase boundary at [Formula: see text] K. This kind of co-existence is unusual and is originating from a coupling between lattice and magnetic degrees of freedoms.

Evolution of Structure and Electronic Correlations in a Series of BaT2As2 (T = Cr-Cu) Single Crystals

We present a systematic study of the evolution of structural parameters and electronic correlations as a function of 3d band filling in a single crystal series of BaT₂As₂ (T = Cr-Cu). The structure trends are discussed in relation to the orbital occupation of the corresponding d elements supported by calculations of the charge density and electron localization function. Analysis of our specific heat data yields the mass enhancement (m*/m_b) throughout the series. By combining the structural data with the mass enhancement values, we find that the decrease in m*/m_b for n > 5 follows an increase of the crystal field splitting, determined by the progressive distortion of the As-T-As angle from the ideal tetrahedral environment. This study finds a strong interplay between crystal structure, bonding behavior, band filling, and electronic properties.

Centrosymmetric LaRh2Ga2

Polycrystalline samples of LaRh2Ga2 with the centrosymmetric CaBe2Ge2 type structure were obtained by arc-melting. Small single crystals were grown through a special annealing sequence in an induction furnace. The structures of two different crystals were refined from diffractometer data, confirming the centrosymmetric structure. The 2c Rh sites were refined with anharmonic atomic displacement parameters.

Novel Fe-Based Superconductor LaFe_{2}As_{2} in Comparison with Traditional Pnictides

The recently discovered Fe-based superconductor (FeBS) LaFe_{2}As_{2} seems to break away from an established pattern that doping an FeBS beyond 0.2e/Fe destroys superconductivity. LaFe_{2}As_{2} has an apparent doping of 0.5e, yet superconducts at 12.1 K. Its Fermi surface bears no visual resemblance with the canonical FeBS fermiology. It also exhibits two phases, none magnetic and only one superconducting. We show that the difference between them nonetheless has a magnetic origin, the one featuring disordered moments, and the other locally nonmagnetic. We find that La there assumes an unusual valence of +2.6 to +2.7, so that the effective doping is reduced to 0.30-0.35e. A closer look reveals the same key elements: hole Fermi surfaces near Γ-Z and electron ones near the X-P lines, with the corresponding peak in susceptibility, and a strong tendency to stripe magnetism. The physics of LaFe_{2}As_{2} is thus more similar to the FeBS paradigm than hitherto appreciated.

Identifying the Origins of Vacancies in the Crystal Structures of Rock Salt-type Chalcogenide Superconductors

The tailored (computational) design of materials addressing future challenges requires a thorough understanding of their electronic structures. This becomes very apparent for a given material existing in a certain homogeneity range, as its particular composition influences its electronic structure and, eventually, its physical properties. This led us to explore the influence and, furthermore, the origin of vacancies in the crystal structures of rock salt-type superconductors by means of quantum-chemical techniques. In doing so, we examined the vibrational properties, electronic band structures, and nature of bonding for a series of superconducting transition-metal sulfides, i.e., MS (M = Sc, Y, Zr, Lu), which were identified to exist over certain homogeneity ranges. The outcome of our research indicates that the subtle competing interplay between two electronically unfavorable situations at the Fermi levels, i.e., the occupations of flat bands and the populations of antibonding states, appears to control the presence of vacancies in the crystal structures of the sulfides.

Revisiting Bond Breaking and Making in EuCo2 P2 : Where are the Electrons?

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was used to elucidate changes in the electronic structure caused by the pressure-induced structural collapse in EuCo₂ P₂ . The spectral changes observed at the L₃ -edge of Eu and K-edges of Co and P suggest electron density redistribution, which contradicts the formal charges calculated from the commonly used Zintl-Klemm concept. Quantum-chemical calculations show that, despite the increase in the oxidation state of Eu and the formation of a weak P-P bond in the high-pressure phase, the electron transfer from the Eu 4f orbitals to the hybridized 5d and 6s states causes strengthening of the Eu-P and P-P bonds. These changes explain the increased electron density on P atoms, deduced from the P K-edge XAS spectra. This work shows that the formal electron counting schemes do not provide an adequate description of changes associated with phase transitions in metallic systems with substantial mixing of the electronic states.

The alkaline earth-palladium-germanides Sr3Pd4Ge4 and BaPdGe

The germanides Sr3Pd4Ge4 and BaPdGe were obtained from high-temperature reactions in sealed niobium ampoules and their structures have been determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data: a=444.2(1), b=438.1(1), c=2472.2(7) pm, space group Immm, U3Ni4Si4 type, wR2=0.0471, 576 unique reflections, 25 parameters for Sr3Pd4Ge4 and a=677.09(8), space group P213, LaIrSi type, wR2=0.0322, 409 unique reflections, nine parameters for BaPdGe. Both germanides have pronounced three-dimensional [Pd4Ge4] δ− and [PdGe] δ− polyanionic networks with Pd–Ge bonding interactions. This is confirmed by the density functional theory (DFT)-based electronic structure investigations, the trends of charge transfer and crystal orbital overlap population (COOP) analyses.

Field-induced transition of the magnetic ground state from A-type antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic order in CsCo2Se2

We report on the magnetic properties of CsCo2Se2 with ThCr2Si2 structure, which we have characterized through a series of magnetization and neutron diffraction measurements. We find that CsCo2Se2 undergoes a phase transition to an antiferromagnetically ordered state with a Néel temperature of [Formula: see text] K. The nearest neighbour interactions are ferromagnetic as observed by the positive Curie-Weiss temperature of [Formula: see text] K. We find that the magnetic structure of CsCo2Se2 consists of ferromagnetic sheets, which are stacked antiferromagnetically along the tetragonal c-axis, generally referred to as A-type antiferromagnetic order. The observed magnitude of the ordered magnetic moment at T  =  1.5 K is found to be only 0.20(1)[Formula: see text] / Co. Already in comparably small magnetic fields of [Formula: see text] T, we observe a metamagnetic transition that can be attributed to spin-rearrangements of CsCo2Se2, with the moments fully ferromagnetically saturated in a magnetic field of [Formula: see text] T. We discuss the entire experimentally deduced magnetic phase diagram for CsCo2Se2 with respect to its unconventionally weak magnetic coupling. Our study characterizes CsCo2Se2, which is chemically and electronically posed closely to the A x Fe2-y Se2 superconductors, as a host of versatile magnetic interactions.

The stannides RE 3Au6Sn5 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) – synthesis, structure, magnetic properties and 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy

The Ce3Pd6Sb5-type rare earth stannides RE 3Au6Sn5 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) were synthesized by arc-melting of the elements and subsequent annealing in open tantalum crucibles within sealed evacuated silica ampoules. The polycrystalline samples were studied by powder X-ray diffraction. The structures of three crystals were refined from single crystal X-ray diffractometer data: Pmmn, a = 1360.3(9), b = 455.9(2), c = 1023.6(4) pm, wR2 = 0.0275, 1069 F 2 values, 48 variables for Ce3Au6Sn5, a = 1352.4(4), b = 455.1(1), c = 1023.7(3) pm, wR2 = 0.0367, 1160 F 2 values, 48 variables for Nd3Au6Sn5, and a = 1339.8(2), b = 452.80(7), c = 1012.4(2) pm, wR2 = 0.1204, 1040 F 2 values, 49 variables for Sm3Au5.59(2)Sn5.41(2). One of the gold sites of the samarium compound shows a significant degree of Au/Sn mixing. The RE 3Au6Sn5 structures are composed of three-dimensional [Au6Sn5] polyanionic networks with the two crystallographically independent rare earth atoms in larger cages, i.e., RE1@Au10Sn6 and RE2@Au8Sn8. The [Au6Sn5] network is stabilized by Au–Sn (266–320 pm), Au–Au (284–301 pm) as well as Sn–Sn (320 pm; distances given for the cerium compound) interactions. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal an antiferromagnetic ordering only for Sm3Au6Sn5, while the other compounds exhibit Curie–Weiss paramagnetism. 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy shows resonances in the typical range for intermetallic tin compounds where tin takes part in the polyanionic network [isomer shifts between 1.73(1) and 2.28(1) mm·s−1]. With the help of theoretical electric field gradient calculations using the WIEN2k code it was possible to resolve the spectroscopic contributions of all three crystallographically independent atomic tin sites in the 119Sn spectra of RE 3Au6Sn5 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm).

Structure and electrical resistivity of mixed-valent EuNi2P2 at high pressure

The structural properties and electrical resistivity of homogeneous mixed-valent EuNi2P2 are studied at pressures up to 45 GPa. No structural phase transition is observed in the whole pressure range and the overall pressure behavior of the structural parameters is similar to that of related compounds in the collapsed tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure. Electrical resistivity measured up to 31 GPa at temperatures between 4 and 300 K exhibits continuous changes from the behavior typical for a mixed-valent Eu system to that of a normal metallic system at pressures above 20 GPa, indicating a transition of the strongly mixed-valent Eu atoms with a valence ~2.5 towards a pure trivalent state. No superconductivity was observed in the whole studied pressure-temperature range.

Spin-glass behavior in LaFe(x)Co(2-x)P2 solid solutions: interplay between magnetic properties and crystal and electronic structures

To explore the evolution of magnetic properties from ferromagnetic LaCo(2)P(2) to paramagnetic LaFe(2)P(2) (both of ThCr(2)Si(2) structure type) a series of mixed composition LaFe(x)Co(2-x)P(2) (x ≤ 0.5) has been comprehensively investigated by means of single-crystal and powder X-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetization and heat capacity measurements, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and electronic band structure calculations. The Curie temperature decreases from 132 K in LaCo(2)P(2) to 91 K in LaFe(0.05)Co(1.95)P(2). The ferromagnetic ordering is suppressed at higher Fe content. LaFe(0.1)Co(1.9)P(2) and LaFe(0.2)Co(1.8)P(2) demonstrate spin-glass-like behavior, which was also confirmed by the absence of characteristic features of long-range magnetic ordering, namely, a λ-type anomaly in the heat capacity, a hyperfine splitting in the Mössbauer spectrum, and magnetic reflections in the neutron diffraction pattern. Finally, both LaFe(0.3)Co(1.7)P(2) and LaFe(0.5)Co(1.5)P(2) exhibit paramagnetic behavior down to 1.8 K. The unit cell parameters of the mixed compounds do not follow the Vegard behavior as the increase in the Fe content results in the decrease of average M-M distances (M = Fe, Co). Quantum-chemical calculations and crystal orbital Hamiltonian population analysis reveal that upon aliovalent (nonisoelectronic) substitution of Fe for Co the antibonding character of M-M interactions is reduced while the Fermi level is shifted below the DOS peak in the 3d metal subband. As the result, at higher Fe content the Stoner criterion is not satisfied and no magnetic ordering is observed.

Superconductivity at 38 K in the iron arsenide (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2

The ternary iron arsenide BaFe2As2 becomes superconducting by hole doping, which was achieved by partial substitution of the barium site with potassium. We have discovered bulk superconductivity at T{c}=38 K in (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2 with x approximately 0.4. The parent compound BaFe2As2 crystallizes in the tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure, which consists of (FeAs);{delta-} iron arsenide layers separated by Ba2+ ions. BaFe2As2 is a poor metal and exhibits a spin density wave anomaly at 140 K. By substituting Ba2+ for K+ ions we have introduced holes in the (FeAs);{-} layers, which suppress the anomaly and induce superconductivity. The T{c} of 38 K in (Ba0.6K0.4)Fe2As2 is the highest in hole doped iron arsenide superconductors so far. Therefore, we were able to expand this class of superconductors by oxygen-free compounds with the ThCr2Si2-type structure.