Magnetic properties and structural characterization of layered (Cr0.5Mn0.5)(2)AuC synthesized by thermally induced substitutional reaction in (Cr0.5Mn0.5)(2)GaC

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Abstract

The magnetic properties of the new phase (Cr0.5Mn0.5)(2)AuC are compared to the known MAX-phase (Cr0.5Mn0.5)(2)GaC, where the former was synthesized by thermally induced substitution reaction of Au for Ga in (Cr0.5Mn0.5)(2)GaC. The reaction introduced a lattice expansion of similar to 3% along the c-axis, an enhancement of the coercive field from 30 mT to 140 mT, and a reduction of the Curie temperature and the saturation magnetization. Still, (Cr0.5Mn0.5)(2)AuC displays similar features in the magnetic field-and temperature-dependent magnetization curves as previously reported magnetic MAX phases, e.g., (Cr0.5Mn0.5)(2)GaC and (Mo0.5Mn0.5)(2)GaC. Thework suggests a pathway for tuning the magnetic properties of MAX phases. (c) 2018 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. ; Funding Agencies|Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (Stiftelsen for Strategisk Forskning, SSF) through the Synergy Grant FUNCASE; Knut and Alice Wallenberg (KAW) Foundation [KAW 2015.0043]; Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation [K3-2017-022]; Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsradet, VR) [621-2012-4425, 642-2013-8020, 2017-03909]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area (SFO) in Materials Science on Advanced Functional Material (MatLiU AFM) [2009-00971]; DFG [SA 3095/2-1]