Co-existence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions in Mn$_3$Ga$ _{(1-x)} $Sn$_x$C

Abstract

The magnetic properties of the Mn$_3$Ga$_{(1-x)}$Sn$_x$C, 0 $\le$ x $\le$ 1 antiperovskite compounds have been investigated in detail. Though all compounds of this series crystallize in a cubic structure, the Ga rich (x $\le$ 0.2) compounds transform, via a first order transformation, to an antiferromagnetic ground state and the Sn rich (x $\ge$ 0.8) compounds exhibit dominant ferromagnetic interactions at low temperature. In the intermediate range (0.4 $\le$ x $\le$ 0.7) co-existence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions can be seen. The results have been explained to be due to growth of ferromagnetic sub-lattice at the expense of antiferromagnetic sub-lattice with increasing Sn concentration in Mn$_3$Ga$_{(1-x)}$Sn$_x$C. This growth occurs to a point where the first-order transition is altered from a ferromagnetic - antiferromagnetic type in Ga rich compounds to a paramagnetic - ferrimagnetic type in Mn$_3$SnC.