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At zero magnetic field, a series of five phase transitions occur in Co3V2O8. The Neel temperature, TN=11.4 K, is followed by four additional phase changes at T1=8.9 K, T2=7.0 K, T3=6.9 K, and T4=6.2 K. The different phases are distinguished by the commensurability of the b-component of its spin density wave vector. We investigate the stability of these various phases under magnetic fields through dielectric constant and magnetic susceptibility anomalies. The field-temperature phase diagram of Co3V2O8 is completely resolved. The complexity of the phase diagram results from the competition of different magnetic states with almost equal ground state energies due to competing exchange interactions and frustration., Comment: Proceedings of the 2007 Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, 2 pages, 2 figures

Two magnetic transitions are observed in the magneto-superconducting RuEu2-xCexSr2Cu2O10 (Ru-1222), at TM 160 K and TM2~80 K. Below TM2 the Ru moments are weak-ferromagnetically ordered and wide ferromagnetic hysteresis loops are observed, they become narrow and disappear at ~ 60-70 K. Above TM2, (i) small antiferromagnetic-like hysteresis loops reappear with a peak in the coercive fields around 120 K. (ii) A small peak at ~120 K is also observed in the dc and ac susceptibility curves. The two phenomena are absent in the non-SC x=1 samples. For x, Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures

The properties of the MoSr2RCu2O8 (R=rare earth) system are found to systematically change with the contraction of the R ions. For the light R ions (La-Nd) the samples are paramagnetic down to 5 K, whereas in the intermediate range (Sm-Tb), the Mo sublattice orders antiferromagnetically at TN, ranging from 11 to 24 K. For the heavy R ions, Ho-Tm and Y, superconductivity appears at TC in the range 19-27 K and antiferromagnetism sets in at TN < TC. This latter behavior resembles most of the magneto-superconductors, but is in sharp contrast to the iso-structural RuSr2RCu2O8 system where TN > TC.

We have investigated the MoSr2R1.5Ce0.5Cu2O10-d (Mo-1222R, R=rare earth) system by several complementary experimental techniques. In contrast to the iso-structural RuSr2R1.5Ce0.5Cu2O10-d (Ru-1222) system, in which superconductivity (SC) in the CuO2 planes and weak-ferromagnetism in the Ru sub-lattice coexists, in Mo-1222, displays a competition between the two states, namely, SC vanishes when the magnetic order sets in. The contraction in the R elements leads to a change of the physical states. The light R ions (Pr and Nd) are paramagnetic down to 5 K, whereas the middle R ions (Sm and Eu) are SC at TC 18-23 K respectively. The SC charge carriers originate from the CuO2 planes, and annealing under oxygen pressures does not affect TC. A simple model for the SC state is proposed. For the heavy R elements Ho-Lu and Y, the pentavalent Mo layers are antiferromagnetically (AFM) ordered at TN ranging from 13-26 K. For R=Gd, the sample is not SC and exhibit two magnetic transitions at 11 and 184 K. Both the SC or AFM states depend strongly on the R/Ce ratio and for R/Ce=1, both states are suppressed., 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PRB

Eu2-xCexRuSr2Cu2O10-d (Ru-2122) is the first Cu-O based system in which superconductivity (SC) in the CuO2 planes and weak-ferromagnetism (W-FM) in the Ru sub-lattice coexists. The hole doping in the CuO2 planes, is controlled by appropriate variation of the Ce concentration. SC occurs for Ce contents of 0.4-0.8, with the highest TC=35 K for Ce=0.6. The as-prepared non-SC EuCeRuSr2Cu2O10 (x=1) sample exhibits magnetic irreversibility below Tirr=125 K and orders anti-ferromagnetically (AFM) at TM =165 K. The saturation moment at 5 K is Msat=0.89 mB /Ru close to the expected 1 mB for the low-spin state of Ru5+. Annealing under oxygen pressures, does not affect these parameters, whereas depletion of oxygen shifts both Tirr and TM up to 169 and 215 K respectively. Systematic magnetic studies on Eu2-xCexRuSr2Cu2O10-d show that TM, Tirr and Msat decrease with x, and the Ce dependent magnetic-SC phase diagram is presented. A simple model for the SC state is proposed. We interpret the magnetic behavior in the framework of our ac and dc magnetic studies, and argue that: (i) the system becomes AFM ordered at TM; (b) at Tirr < TM, W-FM is induced by the canting of the Ru moments, and (c), at lower temperatures the appropriate samples become SC at TC. The magnetic features are not affected by the SC state, and the two states coexist., submitted to Physical Review B