We report a study on tuning the charge density wave (CDW) ferromagnet SmNiC2 to a weakly coupled superconductor by substituting La for Sm. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the doped compounds obey Vegard’s law, where La (Lu) alloying expands (shrinks) the lattice due to its larger (smaller) atomic size than Sm. In the series Sm1−xLaxNiC2, CDW transition (TCDW = 148 K) for SmNiC2 is gradually suppressed, while the ferromagnetic (FM) ordering temperature (TC) at 17 K slightly increases up to x = 0.3. For x > 0.3, TC starts to decrease and there is no signature that could be related with the CDW phase. Electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements point toward the possible presence of a FM quantum critical point (QCP) near x = 0.92, where the TC is extrapolated to zero temperature. Superconductivity in LaNiC2 (Tsc = 2.9 K) is completely suppressed with small amount of Sm inclusion near the proposed FM critical point, indicating a competition between the two ordered phases. The tunable lattice parameters via chemical substitution (La,Lu) and the ensuing change among the ordered phases of ferromagnetism, CDW and superconductivity underscores that SmNiC2 provides a rich avenue to study the rare example of a FM QCP, where the broken symmetries are intricately correlated.
HfO2 films were produced by sputter deposition in the substrate temperature (Ts) range of room temperature (RT)−300 °C and their structural, magnetic, and electrical properties were evaluated. The results indicate that the HfO2 films crystallize in the monoclinic structure and are oriented along the (−111) direction. Magnetization measurements (300–1.8 K) evidence their RT ferromagnetism. The effect of Ts is significant on the magnetic moment (M) and coercivity (Hc). M and Hc values enhanced with increasing Ts due to formation of oxygen vacancies. Increase in the temperature from 150 to 300 K decreases Hc without any transition, indicating that the Curie temperature of HfO2 films is higher than RT. Electrical measurements indicate that the HfO2 films are semiconducting.
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