Pressure-temperature magnetostructural phase diagrams of slowly cooled Co${}_{1-x}$Cu${}_x$MnGe $(0.05\le x\le 0.35)$

Abstract

Polycrystalline samples of Co${}_{1-x}$Cu${}_x$MnGe ($x=0.05,0.10,0.15,0.22$ and 0.35), prepared by arc melting under argon atmosphere, have been annealed at 1123 K with final furnace cooling. The samples have been investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (in function of temperature) and ac magnetic measurements (in function of temperature and applied hydrostatic pressure up to 12 kbar). On the basis of the experimental data, the $(p,T)$ phase diagrams have been determined. For the low Cu content ($x=0.05$, 0.10 and 0.15), the compounds show a martensitic transition between the low-temperature orthorhombic crystal structure of the TiNiSi-type (space group: $Pnma$) and the high-temperature hexagonal structure of the Ni${}_2$In-type (space group: $P{6}_3/mmc$). For the high Cu content ($x=0.22$ and 0.35) only the hexagonal structure is observed. All compounds undergo a transition from para- to ferromagnetic state with decreasing temperature (in case of $x=0.22$ through an intermediate antiferromagnetic phase). The para- to ferromagnetic transition is fully coupled with the martensitic one for $x=0.05$ at the intermediate pressure range (6 kbar $\le p\le 8$ kbar). Partial magnetostructural coupling is observed for $x=0.10$ at ambient pressure. The Curie temperature at ambient pressure decreases from 313 K for $x=0.05$ (in the orthorhombic phase) to about 250 K for the remaining compounds (in the hexagonal phase). For the Co${}_{0.85}$Cu${}_{0.15}$MnGe compound, entropy change associated with the martensitic transition has been calculated using Clausius-Clapeyron equation.