Nonlinear magnetic susceptibility and aging phenomena in reentrant ferromagnet: Cu$_{0.2}$Co$_{0.8}$Cl$_{2}$-FeCl$_{3}$ graphite bi-intercalation compound

TL;DR

This study investigates the nonlinear magnetic susceptibility and aging phenomena in a reentrant ferromagnet, revealing complex phase transitions, critical exponents, and chaotic magnetic behavior across different temperature regimes.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental characterization of phase transitions, critical exponents, and aging phenomena in a reentrant ferromagnet with nonlinear susceptibility analysis.

Findings

Critical exponents for spin glass phase: β=0.57, x=8.5, p=1.55

Observation of nonlinear susceptibility indicating chaotic magnetic phases

Aging phenomena with power-law relaxation in ferromagnetic phase

Abstract

Linear and nonlinear dynamic properties of a reentrant ferromagnet Cu$_{0.2}$Co$_{0.8}$Cl$_{2}$-FeCl$_{3}$ graphite bi-intercalation compound are studied using AC and DC magnetic susceptibility. This compound undergoes successive phase transitions at the transition temperatures $T_{h}$ (= 16 K), $T_{c}$ (= 9.7 K), and $T_{RSG}$ (= 3.5 K). The static and dynamic behaviors of the reentrant spin glass phase below $T_{RSG}$ are characterized by those of normal spin glass phase with critical exponent $\beta$ = 0.57 $\pm$ 0.10, a dynamic critical exponent $x$ = 8.5 $\pm$ 1.8, and an exponent $p$ (= 1.55 $\pm$ 0.13) for the de Almeida -Thouless line. A prominent nonlinear susceptibility is observed between $T_{RSG}$ and $T_{c}$ and around $T_{h}$, suggesting a chaotic nature of the ferromagnetic phase ($T_{RSG} \leq T \leq T_{c}$) and the helical spin ordered phase ($T_{c} \leq T \leq T_{h}$). The aging phenomena are observed both in the RSG and FM phases, with the same qualitative features as in normal spin glasses. The aging of zero-field cooled magnetization indicates a drastic change of relaxation mechanism below and above $T_{RSG}$. The time dependence of the absorption $\chi^{\prime \prime}$ is described by a power law form ($\approx t^{-b^{\prime \prime}}$) in the ferromagnetic phase, where $b^{\prime \prime} \approx 0.074 \pm 0.016$ at $f$ = 0.05 Hz and $T$ = 7 K. No $\omega t$-scaling law for $\chi^{\prime \prime}$ [$\approx (\omega t)^{-b^{\prime \prime}}$] is observed.