The magnetism and electronic transport properties of Mn3Sn1−xSixC

• The lattice, magnetic and electronic transport properties of Mn3Sn1−xSixC compounds were investigated for the first time.
• Si-doping in Mn3SnC antiperovskite induces a decrease of the Mn–Mn distance, and a change of the magnetic interaction from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic when x≥0.2. With increasing Si, the magnetovolume effect is quenched.
• The temperature dependence of resistivity of Mn3Sn1−xSixC (x= 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) shows semiconducting-like behaviour at low temperatures and metallic-like behaviour at high temperatures.

The lattice, magnetic and electronic transport properties of the compounds Mn3Sn1−xSixC (0≤x≤0.4) are investigated. The results have shown that Si-doping in the antiperovskite Mn3SnC induces the decrease of the nearest neighbouring Mn–Mn bond distance of Mn3Sn1−xSixC, and the magnetic structure transforms from ferrimagnetic to antiferromagnetic when x≥0.2. With the increase of Si, the Neel temperature TN rises. The TN of Mn3Sn1−xSixC(x=0.2, 0.3, 0.4) are 217 K, 257 K and 290 K, respectively. However, the magnetovolume effect is quenched. In Mn3SnC and Mn3Sn1−xSixC (x=0.2, 0.3, 0.4) compounds, there exists an anomalous increase in resistivity at a certain temperature that coincides well with their Curie temperature TC or Neel temperature TN. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of Mn3Sn1−xSixC (x=0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) exhibits semiconducting-like behavior at low temperature and metallic-like behavior at high temperature.