Magnetic and transport properties of La0.7Ca0.3Mn1-xM'xO3 (M'=Al,Ti) are studied. The dilution of the Mn lattice results in a weakening of the ferromagnetism, a deterioration of the metallic conductivity, and a strong enhancement of the magnetoresistance. Although Tc linearly decreases with x in the low substitution ranges for both M' series, the scaling behavior Tc(np) previously observed for La0.7Sr0.3Mn1-xM'xO3 [Phys. Rev. B 73, 184403 (2006)] is no longer obtained. Extrapolations of the Tc(np) linear curves to Tc=0 give np values much smaller than 1. These results suggest that, according to a molecular-field approximation, antiferromagnetic superexchange between Mn ions is significant in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3, in contrast to what observed in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3. Additionally, structural data of the Al-substituted samples suggest that variations of the eg-electron bandwidth W cannot explain the decrease of Tc in magnetically diluted manganites.
The magnetic lattice of mixed-valence Mn ions in La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$ is selectively diluted by partial substitution of Mn by Al or Ti. The ferromagnetic transition temperature and the saturation moment decreases with substitution in both series. The volume fraction of the non-ferromagnetic phases evolves non-linearly with the substitution concentration and faster than theoretically expected. By presenting the data in terms of selective dilutions, the reduction of $T_\mathrm{c}$ is found to be scaled by the relative ionic concentrations and is consistent with a prediction derived from m…
A prominent character of two-dimensional magnetic systems is the enhanced spin fluctuations, which however reduce the ordering temperature. Here we report that a magnetic field of only one-thousandth of the Heisenberg superexchange interaction can induce a crossover, which for practical purposes is the effective ordering transition, at temperatures about 6 times of the Neel transition in a site-diluted two-dimensional anisotropic quantum antiferromagnet. Such a strong magnetic response is enabled because the system directly enters the antiferromagnetically ordered state from the isotropic diso…
The magnetic lattice of mixed-valence Mn ions in La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ is selectively diluted by partial substitution of Al or Ti for Mn. The ferromagnetic transition temperature $T_\mathrm{c}$ and the saturation magnetization $M_\mathrm{s}$ both decrease with substitution. By presenting the data in terms of selective dilution, $T_\mathrm{c}$ in the low-doping region is found to follow the relation $T_\mathrm{c}=T_\mathrm{c0}(1-n_\mathrm{p})$, where $T_\mathrm{c0}$ refers to the undiluted system and $n_\mathrm{p}$ is the dilution concentration defined as $n_\mathrm{p}=x/0.7$ or $n_\mat…
We report a $^7$Li nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of a frustrated three-dimensional \mbox{spin-$\frac12$} antiferromagnet Li$_{2}$CuW$_{2}$O$_{8}$ and also explore the effect of non-magnetic dilution. The magnetic long-range ordering in the parent compound at $T_{\rm N}\simeq$ 3.9~K was detected from the drastic line broadening and a peak in the spin-lattice relaxation rate ($1/T_1$). The NMR spectrum above $T_{\rm N}$ broadens systematically, and its full width at half maximum (FWHM) tracks the static spin susceptibility. From the analysis of FWHM vs. static susceptibility, the coupli…
Recently, the bi-layer Kagome lattice material Ca$_{10}$Cr$_7$O$_{28}$ has been shown to be a quasi-two-dimensional quantum spin liquid (QSL) where the frustration arises from a balance between competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange within a bi-layer. In an attempt to understand what happens when this balance is disturbed, we present a magnetic dilution study. Specifically, we have synthesized Ca$_{10}$(Cr$_{1-x}$V$_x$)$_7$O$_{28}$ (0 $\leq$ x $\leq$ 0.5) where magnetic Cr$^{5+}$ ($S = 1/2$) is partially replaced by non-magnetic V$^{5+}$ ($S = 0$). We also synthesized the fully…
The effects of magnetic dilution and applied pressure on frustrated spinel Ni$_{2-x}$Mg$_{x}$GeO$_{4}$ (0 $\leq x \leq 1.0$) are analyzed using specific heat, AC and DC magnetization and x-ray diffraction. The parent compound has two closely spaced antiferromagnetic transitions $T_{\text{N1}}=12.0$ K (kagomé planes) and $T_{\text{N2}}=11.4$ K (triangular planes). In the dilution range tested, the low temperature magnetic state takes three forms: antiferromagnetic ($0 \leq x \leq 0.05$), ill-defined ($x=0.10$ and 0.15), and spin glass ($0.30 \leq x \leq 1.0$). The AFM region shows an extreme vu…
Mixtures of Fe and Cu powders are cold-compacted and subsequently deformed with severe plastic deformation by high-pressure torsion, leading to bulk samples. The dilution of Fe in the Cu matrix is investigated with SQUID-magnetometry, whereas the magnetic properties change as a function of Fe-content from a frustrated regime to a thermal activated behaviour. The magnetic properties are correlated with the microstructure, investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and atom probe tomography. Annealing of the as-deformed states leads to demixing and grain growth, with the coercivity as a funct…
We have studied spin freezing in the diluted spin ice compound Dy2-xYxTi2O7 where the non-magnetic Y ions replace the magnetic Dy ions on the frustrated pyrochlore lattice. Magnetic a.c. and d.c. susceptibility data are presented with an analysis of relaxation times for dilutions of x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4. Site dilution apparently decreases the relative number of spins participating in the ice-like freezing near 16 K while leaving the freezing temperature unchanged. Correspondingly the distribution of relaxation times associated with the freezing is broadened only slightly with increasing di…
Effects of bond randomness and site dilution are systematically investigated for the Kitaev model describing a quantum spin liquid with fractional excitations of itinerant Majorana fermions and localized fluxes. We find that, in the high-temperature region where the itinerant Majorana fermions release their entropy, both types of disorders suppress the longitudinal thermal conductivity while keeping the specific heat almost unchanged. This suggests that both disorders reduce the mean-free path of the Majorana fermions. On the other hand, in the low-temperature region, the other specific heat p…
In this work, we study the effect of the magnetic dilution of Cr$^{3+}$ on the LaCrO$_3$ half doped with Al. Pure and half-doped samples were prepared by combustion method using urea as fuel. The crystal structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction. Rietveld analysis reveal a structural phase transition caused by the increase of the chemical pressure due difference of Al$^{3+}$ and Cr$^{3+}$ ionic radii. SEM images shows that the samples exhibit a spherical formation and irregular morphologies. Magnetization measurements as a function of temperature reveal an antiferromagnetic order in both…
Theory of dilution effect in orbital ordered system is presented. The $e_g$ orbital model without spin degree of freedom and the spin-orbital coupled model in a three-dimensional simple-cubic lattice are analyzed by the Monte-Carlo simulation and the cluster expansion method. In the $e_g$ orbital model without spin degree of freedom, reduction of the orbital ordering temperature due to dilution is steeper than that in the dilute magnet. This is attributed to a modification of the orbital wave-function around vacant sites. In the spin-orbital coupled model, it is found that magnetic structure i…
The combined effects of hole doping and magnetic dilution on a lamellar Heisenberg antiferromagnet are studied in the framework of the frustration model. Magnetic vacancies are argued to remove some of the frustrating bonds generated by the holes, thus explaining the increase in the temperature and concentration ranges exhibiting three dimensional long range order. The dependence of the Neel temperature on both hole and vacancy concentrations is derived quantitatively from earlier renormalization group calculations for the non--dilute case, and the results reproduce experimental data with no n…
As the first intrinsic antiferromagnetic (AFM) topological insulator (TI), MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ has provided a material platform to realize various emergent phenomena arising from the interplay of magnetism and band topology. Here by investigating (Mn$_{1-x}$Pb$_x$)Bi$_2$Te$_4$ $(0\leq x \leq 0.82)$ single crystals via the x-ray, electrical transport, magnetometry and neutron measurements, chemical analysis, external pressure, and first-principles calculations, we reveal the magnetic dilution effect on the magnetism and band topology in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. With increasing $x$, both lattice parameters $a…
We report static and dynamic properties of the antiferromagnetic compound Zn$_{2}$(VO)(PO$_{4}$)$_{2}$, and the consequences of non-magnetic Ti$^{4+}$ doping at the V$^{4+}$ site. $^{31}$P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and spin-lattice relaxation rate ($1/T_1$) consistently show the formation of the long-range antiferromagnetic order below $T_N= 3.8-3.9$\,K. The critical exponent $β=0.33 \pm 0.02$ estimated from the temperature dependence of the sublattice magnetization measured by $^{31}$P NMR at 9.4\,MHz is consistent with universality classes of three-dimensional spin models. The…
The effects of regular S=1 dilution of S=1/2 isotropic antiferromagnetic chain are investigated by the quantum Monte Carlo loop/cluster algorithm. Our numerical results show that there are two kinds of ground-state phases which alternate with the variation of $S^1=1$ concentration. When the effective spin of a unit cell is half-integer, the ground state is ferrimagnetic with gapless energy spectrum and the magnetism becomes weaker with decreasing of the $S^1$ concentration $ρ= 1/M$. While it is integer, a non-magnetic ground state with gaped spectrum emerges and the gap gradually becomes narro…
We report the effect of Al substitution on the Mn site of the bilayered half doped manganite La{_1}Sr{_2}Mn{_2}O{_7}. This substitution dilutes the magnetically active Mn-O-Mn network without introducing an appreciable distortion in the lattice and ionic considerations leads to a predominant reduction of Mn{^{4+}} with increasing Al. The rate of fall of the long range antiferromagnetic transition temperature as a function of substitution is seen to match well with established quasi 2D Heisenberg systems indicating that the nature of magnetic interactions in this quasi 2-D system is of the shor…
We investigate the impact of site dilution by setting the on-site repulsion strength ($U$) to zero at a fraction of sites in the half-filled Hubbard model on a simple cubic lattice. We employ a semi-classical Monte-Carlo approach first to recover the zero dilution (undiluted $x=1$) properties, including $U$ dependence of insulator to metal crossover temperature scale $T^*$ and long-range staggered antiferromagnetic ordering temperature ($T_N$). For the non-perturbative regime of $U \sim$ bandwidth, we find a rapid suppression of $T^*$ with reducing $x$ from 1 to 0.7. However, $T_N$ remains unc…
We demonstrate that magnetic $3d$ impurities with $S=3/2$ spins and no orbital degree of freedom induce changes of spin-orbital order in a $4d^4$ Mott insulator with $S=1$ spins. Impurities act either as spin defects which decouple from the surrounding ions, or trigger orbital polarons along $3d$-$4d$ bonds. The $4d$-$4d$ superexchange in the host $J_{\rm host}$ competes with $3d$-$4d$ superexchange $J_{\rm imp}$ --- it depends on which orbital is doubly occupied. The spin-orbital order within the host is totally modified at doping $x=1/4$. Our findings provide new perspective for future theor…
A cylindrical magnetic nanowire system composed of ferromagnetic core and shell layers has been investigated by using effective field theory with correlations. Both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange couplings at the core-shell interface have been considered. Main attention has been focused on the effects of the quenched disordered shell bonds, as well as interface bonds on the magnetic properties of the system. A complete picture of the phase diagrams and magnetization profiles has been represented. It has been shown that for the antiferromagnetic nanowire system, the magnetization …
We present the main features of a home-built scanning tunneling microscope that has been attached to the mixing chamber of a dilution refrigerator. It allows scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy measurements down to the base temperature of the cryostat, T approx. 30mK, and in applied magnetic fields up to 13T. The topography of both highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and the dichalcogenide superconductor NbSe2 have been imaged with atomic resolution down to T approx. 50mK as determined from a resistance thermometer adjacent to the sample. As a test for a successful operation in…
We present the studies of electrical transport and magnetic interactions in Zn_{1-x}Mn_{x}GeAs_{2} crystals with low Mn content 0 \leq x \leq 0.043. We show that the ionic-acceptor defects are mainly responsible for the strong p-type conductivity of our samples. We found that the negative magnetoresistance (MR) with maximum values of about -50% is related to the weak localization phenomena. The magnetic properties of Zn1-xMnxGeAs2 samples show that the random Mn-distribution in the cation sites of the host lattice occurs only for the sample with the lowest Mn-content, x=0.003. The samples with…
Nowadays ferromagnetism is often found in potential diluted magnetic semiconductor systems. However, many authors argue that the observed ferromagnetism stems from ferromagnetic precipitates or spinodal decomposition rather than from carrier mediated magnetic impurities, as required for a diluted magnetic semiconductor. In the present paper we answer this question for Fe-implanted ZnO single crystals comprehensively. Different implantation fluences and temperatures and post-implantation annealing temperatures have been chosen in order to evaluate the structural and magnetic properties over a w…
We have investigated the effects of substituting In for Mn on the antiferromagnetic phase transition in YMnO3 using magnetic, dielectric, and specific heat measurements. We prepared a set of isostructural phase pure hexagonal YMn$_{1-x}$In$_{x}$O$_{3}$ samples having x=0 to x=0.9, which exhibit a systematic decrease of the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature with increasing In content. The multiferroic phase, which develops below TN, appears to be completely suppressed for x$\geq$0.5 in the temperature range investigated, which can be attributed solely to the dilution of magnetic interactio…
We have studied the low temperature a.c. magnetic susceptibility of the diluted spin ice compound Dy(2-x)MxTi2O7, where the magnetic Dy ions on the frustrated pyrochlore lattice have been replaced with non-magnetic ions, M = Y or Lu. We examine a broad range of dilutions, 0 <= x <= 1.98, and we find that the T ~ 16 K freezing is suppressed for low levels of dilution but re-emerges for x > 0.4 and persists to x = 1.98. This behavior can be understood as a non-monotonic dependence of the quantum spin relaxation time with dilution. The results suggest that the observed spin freezing is fundamenta…
We investigate the magnetic susceptibility of the classical Heisenberg antiferromagnet with nearest-neighbour interactions on the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore lattice, for a pure system and in the presence of dilution with nonmagnetic ions. Using the fact that the correlation length in this system for small dilution is always short, we obtain an approximate but accurate expression for the magnetic susceptibility at all temperatures. We extend this theory to the compound SrCr_{9-9x}Ga_{3+9x}O_{19} (SCGO) and provide an explanation of the phenomenological model recently proposed by Schiff…
Thin films of Pr0.7Ca 0.3MnO3, Nd-0.5Ca0.5MnO3 and Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 have been fabricated. by pulse laser deposition. Magnetic and electrical transport properties of these films were compared with their bulk solids. All the films grow in (101) direction on LaAlO3(100). Electrical transport measurements carried out with and without magnetic field has shown dr/dT<0 in these thin films. Application of magnetic field has shown dilution of the insulating behavior. The magnetization studies of Nd-0.5Sr0.5MnO3 exhibited ferromagnetic behavior at 260K and showed antiferomagnetic feature below 130K. This …
Spin ice materials, such as Dy2Ti2O7 and Ho2Ti2O7, have been the subject of much interest for over the past fifteen years. Their low temperature strongly correlated state can be mapped onto the proton disordered state of common water ice and, consequently, spin ices display the same low temperature residual Pauling entropy as water ice. Interestingly, it was found in a previous study [X. Ke {\it et. al.} Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 99}, 137203 (2007)] that, upon dilution of the magnetic rare-earth ions (Dy^{3+} and Ho^{3+}) by non-magnetic Yttrium (Y^{3+}) ions, the residual entropy depends {\it non…
YBaCuFeO5 is one of the interesting multiferroic compounds, which exhibits magnetic ordering and dielectric anomaly above 200 K. Partial substitution of Fe with other magnetic and non-magnetic ion affects the magnetic and the structural properties of the system. We report detailed investigation of structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of YBaCuFe0.85M0.15O5 (M=Co, Ni and Ga). We observed that the partial replacement of Ni and Co in place of Fe, results in magnetic dilution and broadening of the magnetic transition and shifting towards lower temperature. The replacement of Fe with non-m…
The effect of nonmagnetic metal additives in metallic antiferromagnets (AFMs) on the exchange bias (EB) has been investigated from a structural, magnetic and Monte Carlo simulation point of view in bilayers of CoFe/IrMn:Cu. Dilution by Cu atoms throughout the volume of the AFM IrMn give rise to an enhanced EB field for temperatures between 5 K and 300 K. The thermoremanent magnetization of the AFM-only is also enhanced with dilution, shows qualitatively the same temperature dependence as EB field and is at the origin of the EB mechanism. Monte Carlo simulations based on a Heisenberg model and …
We demonstrate a 20-fold enhancement in the strength of the RKKY interlayer exchange in dilute-ferromagnet/normal-metal multilayers by incorporating ultrathin Fe layers at the interfaces. Additionally, the resulting increase in the interface magnetic polarization profoundly affects the finite-size effects, sharpening the Curie transition of the multilayer, while allowing to separately tune its Curie temperature via intralayer magnetic dilution. These results should be useful for designing functional materials for applications in magneto-caloric micro-refrigeration and thermally-assisted spin-e…
Electronic transport and magnetic properties of Ge1-xMnx/Ge(100) films are investigated as a function of Mn dilution. Depending on x, characteristic temperatures separate different regimes in both properties. Resistivity exhibits an insulator-like behavior in the whole temperature range and, below about 80 K, two distinct activation energies are observed. At a higher temperature value, TR, resistivity experiences a sudden reduction. Hall coefficient shows a strong contribution from the anomalous Hall effect and, at TR, a sign inversion, from positive to negative, is recorded. The magnetic prop…
The effects of Cu-doping on the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of La0.7Sr0.3Mn1-xCuxO3 (0 < x < 0.20) have been studied using neutron diffraction, magnetization and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. All samples show the rhombohedral structure with the R3c space-group from 10K to room temperature (RT). Neutron diffraction data suggest that some of the Cu ions have a Cu3+ state in these compounds. The substitution of Mn by Cu affects the Mn-O bond length and Mn-O-Mn bond angle resulting from the minimization of the distortion of the MnO6 octahedron. Resistivity measurements sh…
The ferromagnetic transition in a diluted magnetic semiconductor with localized charge carriers is inevitably a percolation transition. In this work we theoretically study the correlation between this magnetic percolation and transport properties of the sample, including the possibility of a simultaneous transport percolation. We find nontrivial signatures of the percolating magnetic clusters in the transport properties of the system, including interesting non-monotonic temperature dependence of the system resistivity.
