The effect of magnetism and temperature on the stability of Cr, V, Al carbide MAX phases

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to analyze how magnetism and temperature influence the stability of Cr, V, Al carbide MAX phases, revealing magnetic effects on their thermal stability and potential for complex spin textures.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetic and thermal stability of MAX phases, highlighting the importance of magnetic moments and order in their phase stability.

Findings

Thermal stability depends on magnetic moments and order.

Magnetic moments significantly affect the temperature at which MAX phases become unstable.

Antiferromagnetic arrangements are favored at low temperatures but likely lost at synthesis temperatures.

Abstract

The stability of Cr, V, Al carbide MAX phases, materials of interest for a variety of magnetic as well as high temperature applications, has been studied using density-functional-theory first-principles calculations. The enthalpy of mixing predicts these alloys to be unstable towards unmixing at 0 K. The calculations also predict, however, that these phases would be thermally stabilised by configurational entropy at temperatures well below the values used for synthesis. The temperature Ts below which they become unstable is found to be quite sensitive to the presence of magnetic moments on Cr ions, as well as to the material's magnetic order, in addition to chemical order and composition. Allowing for magnetism, the value of Ts for helf V and half Cr with chemically disordered Cr and V atoms, is estimated to be between 516 K and 645 K depending on the level of theory, while, if constrained to spin-paired, Ts drops to 142 K. Antiferromagnetic spin arrangements are found to be favoured at low temperatures, but they are most likely lost at synthesis temperatures, and probably at room temperature as well. However, the combination of antiferromagnetic frustration and configurational disorder should give rise to interesting spin textures at low temperatures.