Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity of a novel antiferromagnet: LiNi2P3O10 and the effect of doping

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic and thermal properties of a novel antiferromagnet, LiNi2P3O10, and examines how doping with non-magnetic and magnetic impurities affects its magnetic ordering and heat capacity.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of impurity doping on the magnetic behavior of LiNi2P3O10, a previously unstudied antiferromagnetic compound.

Findings

Broad maximum in magnetic susceptibility at 10 K

Lambda-like anomaly in heat capacity at 7 K

Doping shifts magnetic features to lower temperatures

Abstract

We report the synthesis, x-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements on polycrystalline samples of undoped LiNi2P3O10 and samples with non-magnetic impurity (Zn2+, S = 0) and magnetic impurity (Cu2+, S = 1/2) at the Ni site. The magnetic susceptibility data show a broad maximum at around 10 K and a small anomaly at about 7 K in the undoped sample.There is a lambda-like anomaly in the specific heat at 7 K, possibly due to the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering in the system. The magnetic entropy change at the ordering temperature is close to the value corresponding to Rln(2S+1) expected for an S = 1 system. The temperature corresponding to the broad maximum and the ordering temperature both decrease on Zn and Cu substitutions and also in applied magnetic fields.