Physics NotePublished
The Origin of the Low-T Helical State and the Field-Induced Phase Transitions in the Reentrant Superconductor
M. El Massalami; E. M. B. Saitovitch
1994
Publication details
- Authors
- M. El Massalami; E. M. B. Saitovitch
- Type
- Physics Note
- Status
- Published
- Publication date
- 1994
- Description
- Longitudinal magnetoresistivity of a textured polycrystalline <math>HoNi_{2}B_{2}C\,\!</math> in the reentrant region <math>(T = 4.7(2) K, 0 < H < \,\!</math> <math>80 k O e)\,\!</math> shows a cascade of field-induced magnetic phase transitions. These transitions (and the reported H - T phase diagram) are interpreted as follows: for <math>T < T_{N}\,\!</math>, an external field <math>(>H_{C2})\,\!</math> first transforms the superconducting antiferromagntic ground state into a non-superconducting distorted helical state. This distorted helical state is transformed (on further field increase) into the ferromagnetic state via two types of fan-like spin-structures. On the other hand, the formation of the helical state is attributed to the competing character of the RKKY-type antiferromagnetic couplings among the neighboring and the further neighboring planes of ferromagnetically-aligned moments. A modification of these interactions by magnetic field, pressure, impurity, etc., will drastically influence the helical state and consequently the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity.
- Year
- 1994
- Number
- CBPF-NF-067/94
- Linked to a thesis
- No
- Linked to a grant
- No