Papers by Author: Hirohiko Sato

Abstract: Cu3(OH)4SO4, a parallel Cu (S = 1/2) triple chain system, is an interesting magnet because an idle-spin state is expected on the central chain. We have succeeded in growing high-quality single crystals of Cu3SO4(OH)4 by a hydrothermal method from copper sulfate and copper hydroxide. We measured field dependence of the magnetization on a single crystal under various directions of magnetic field up to 7 T. We found a clear magnetic anisotropy and confirmed that the existence of the easy axis lies in the ac plane. Under magnetic fields parallel to the c-axis and the a-axis at 2.5 K, we observed field-induced successive magnetic transitions. In the case of B//c, two anomalies of the magnetization are observed at 0.9 and 1.7 T, On the other hand, there are broad anomalies in the magnetization at 3.7 and 5.6 T in the case of B//a.

Abstract: TlFe2Se2-δ was synthesized by a self-flux method with excess amount of selenium. Elemental analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy estimates the deficiency δ at about 0.5. The magnetic susceptibility reveals an antiferromagnetic transition at TN ≈ 475 K. The resistivity exhibits a semiconducting behavior with an activation energy, EA = 0.04 eV. There is a clear anomaly in the resistivity at TN, indicating a strong interplay between magnetism and electric conduction.

Abstract: We have discovered a novel compound Na0.12CrO2Ge0.18Ox•yH2O using a hydrothermal method. Its powder X-ray diffraction reveals a monoclinic unit cell with lattice parameters: a = 7.260 Å, b = 2.950 Å, c = 5.117 Å and β = 103.7°. A Rietveld analysis shows that this compound has a layered structure based on CrO2 sheets consisting of edge-shared CrO6 octahedra. Such a layered structure is commonly seen in many hexagonal Cr oxides such as NaCrO2. A heat treatment at 100 °C modifies the crystal structure without destruction of a layered structure based on Cr triangular-lattice, because H2O molecules among the CrO2 sheets are removed at high temperature. Magnetization measurements reveal a spin-glass behavior below Tg = 3 K.

Abstract: We succeeded in synthesizing single crystals of a novel nickel sulfate Ni2-δSO5 by a hydrothermal method. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed a tetragonal structure with lattice constants, a = 5.184 Å and c = 12.91 Å. In this structure, one-dimensional chains composed of face-shared NiO6 octahedra elongate along the a axis and the b axis alternately, constructing a ‘log-cabin’ type framework where neighbor chains lying orthogonally to each other are connected by SO4 tetrahedra. A detailed refinement of the structure suggested that the site occupancy of Ni is only 63%, corresponding to δ ≈ 2/3. Furthermore, X-ray oscillation photographs exhibit diffuse-scattering patterns probably arising from a short-range order of the Ni defects. Magnetic susceptibility revealed an antiferromagnetic transition accompanied by a weak ferromagnetism at 17 K.