ACTA

Effect of Cation Substitution on Critical Fields in the n-type Zn_xSn_yCr_zSe₄ Spinel Semiconductors

T. Groń^a, I. Jendrzejewska^b, E. Maciążek^b, A.W. Pacyna^c, H. Duda^a, P. Zajdel^a and J. Krok-Kowalski^a
^aInstitute of Physics, University of Silesia, Uniwersytecka 40-007 Katowice, Poland
^bInstitute of Chemistry, University of Silesia, Szkolna 9, 40-006 Katowice, Poland
^cThe Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, E. Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, Poland

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The ac dynamic magnetic susceptibility was used to study a cation substitution on critical fields in polycrystalline (Zn_0.87Sn_0.048)Cr_2.02Se₄ and Zn_0.93[Cr_1.95Sn_0.05]Se₄ spinels with tetra- and octahedral coordination of Sn ions, respectively. An increasing static magnetic field shifts the Néel temperature T_N to lower temperatures while a susceptibility peak at T_m in the paramagnetic region - to higher temperatures. Below T_N the magnetic field dependence of susceptibility, χ_ac(H), shows two peaks at critical fields H_c1 and H_c2. The values of H_c1 decrease slightly with temperature while the values of H_c2 decrease strongly with temperature, especially for spinel with octahedral coordination of Sn ions, suggesting a weakness of the ferromagnetic component.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.116.971
PACS numbers: 75.50.Pp, 75.30.Kz, 75.30.Et