Moderate interaction between 3d- and 4f-electrons and ferrimagnetism in Co-doped GdFeAsO

TL;DR

This study explores how substituting Co for Fe in GdFeAsO affects its magnetic and superconducting properties, revealing complex interactions between 3d- and 4f-electrons leading to ferrimagnetism and superconductivity.

Contribution

It provides a systematic analysis of the interplay between 3d- and 4f-electron magnetism and superconductivity in GdFe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$AsO, highlighting the emergence of ferrimagnetism and magnetic reorientation.

Findings

Superconductivity appears in a narrow doping range with a maximum $T_{sc} \\approx 20$ K.

Gd 4f-electrons remain antiferromagnetically ordered across all doping levels.

Co 3d-electrons become ferromagnetic above $x \\approx 0.8$, reaching $T_C \\approx 75$ K.

Abstract

We synthesized a series of GdFe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$AsO polycrystalline samples ($0 \leq x \leq 1$) by using a solid state reaction method and present a systematic study on the physical properties by means of electrical resistivity $\rho(T)$, magnetic susceptibility $\chi(T)$ and specific heat $C(T)$. The parent compound GdFeAsO undergoes a spin-density-wave (SDW) transition associated with Fe 3d-electrons around 130 K, followed by an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition of Gd at $T^\textup{Gd}_\textup{N} \approx$ 4 K. The SDW transition is quickly suppressed by Fe/Co substitution and superconductivity appears in a narrow doping range of $0.05 < x < 0.25$, showing a maximum $T_\textup{sc}$ $\approx$ 20 K around $x = 0.1$. On the other hand, the 4f-electrons of Gd are antiferromagnetically ordered over the entire doping concentration ($0 \leq x \leq 1$), while the Co 3d-electrons exhibit a ferromagnetic (FM) transition above $x \approx 0.8$, with the Curie temperature ($T^\textup{Co}_\textup{C}$) reaching 75 K in GdCoAsO. These two magnetic species (Gd and Co) are coupled antiferromagnetically to give rise to ferrimagnetic behavior in magnetic susceptibility on the Co-rich side. For $0.7 \leq x < 1.0$, the system undergoes a possible magnetic reorientation below $T^\textup{Gd}_\textup{N}$.