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  Dias, E.; Das, A.; Hoser, A.; Emura, S.; Nigam, A.; Priolkar, K.: Absence of first order magnetic transition, a curious case of Mn₃InC. Journal of Applied Physics 125 (2019), p. 063904/1-7

10.1063/1.5071444
Open Access version by external provider

Abstract:
The volume expanding magnetostructural transition in Mn3GaC and Mn3SnC has been identified to be due to distortion of Mn6C octahedra. Despite a similar lattice volume as Mn3SnC and similar valence electron contribution to density of states as in Mn3GaC, Mn3InC does not undergo a first order magnetostructural transformation like the Ga and Sn antiperovskite counterparts. A systematic investigation of its structure and magnetic properties using probes like x-ray diffraction, magnetization measurements, neutron diffraction, and extended x-ray absorption fine structure reveals that though the octahedra are distorted resulting in long and short Mn-Mn bonds and different magnetic moments on Mn atoms, the interaction between them remains ferromagnetic. This has been attributed to the strain on the Mn6C octahedra produced due to a relatively larger size of In atoms compared to Sn and Ga. The size of In atoms constricts the deformation of Mn6C octahedra giving rise to Mn-Mn distances that favor only ferromagnetic interactions in the compound.