Elastic and magnetic properties on field-induced Metal-Insulator transition of bilayer manganese oxide $(La_{1-z} Pr_z)_{1.2} Sr_{1.8} Mn_2 O_7$ ($z$=0.6)

TL;DR

This study investigates the elastic and magnetic properties of a bilayer manganese oxide crystal, revealing elastic anomalies, a metamagnetic transition, and strong coupling between elastic strains and magnetic susceptibility.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the coupling effects between elastic strains and magnetic properties in bilayer manganese oxides under high magnetic fields.

Findings

Elastic anomaly observed at low temperatures and high magnetic fields.

Discovery of a new metamagnetic transition above 40 K.

Strong coupling between elastic strains and magnetic susceptibility.

Abstract

The elastic and magnetic properties of a single crystal of 327 bilayer manganese oxide $(La_{1-z} Pr_z)_{1.2} Sr_{1.8} Mn_2 O_7$ with $z$=0.6 have been investigated by ultrasonic and high-field magnetization measurements. A distinct elastic anomaly was observed at low temperatures and in high magnetic fields when crossing the phase boundary. A pronounced elastic softening as a function of magnetic field ($H$) appears across the boundary of the low-temperature magnetic phase below around 40 K, accompanied by a distinct hysteresis. In the high field region, however, these elastic constants exhibit an increase with increasing a magnetic field in the high-field region. The high-field magnetization measurement characterizing the magnetic state clarified a strong connection between elastic strains and magnetic moments. The new metamagnetic transition was found in the high-field region above 40 K, accompanied with no hysteresis. The present results of elastic constants are discussed in terms of a coupling effect between elastic strains associated with sound waves and relevant magnetic moments, and relevant conduction bands. They are explained reasonably in terms of a strong coupling between elastic strains and magnetic susceptibility $chi$$_{m}$=$partial$$M$/$partial$$H$.