Spin-glass-like behaviour in IrSr2RECu2O8 (RE=Sm and Eu)

We report the results of magnetic and specific heat measurements on the 1212-type compounds IrSr2RECu2O8 with RE=Sm and Eu, prepared by high-pressure and high-temperature synthesis. The magnetic susceptibility of these compounds shows a large difference in the temperature dependence of the magnetization measured under zero-field-cooled and field-cooled conditions below 87 and 71 K, respectively, and upon further cooling below ∼10 K substantial maxima are observed too. Further AC susceptibility measurements support a glassy behaviour in lower magnetic transitions whereas the specific heat measurements do not show the typical long-range ordering commonly displayed in ferro, ferri or antiferromagnetic transitions. Hysteresis loops suggest the presence of magnetic clusters in the otherwise paramagnetic zone, indicating that these compounds probably display a reentrant spin-glass transition. Results are presented and discussed.

Graphical abstractIrSr2RECu2O8 with RE=Sm and Eu were prepared by high-pressure and high-temperature synthesis. Both samples adopt a M-1212-type perovskite structure and a microdomain texturing of the long c-axis is observed by TEM. A very interesting magnetic behaviour is observed in these materials. A “cluster by cluster freezing” model is proposed, instead of the classical individual spin freezing one to explain the spin-glass-like behaviour that seems to coexist with weak ferromagnetism in both compounds.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide