Carbon-induced ferromagnetism in the antiferromagnetic metallic host material Mn₃ZnN

Carbon-for-nitrogen substitution (51 at% at most) was achieved in the antiferromagnetic metallic host material Mn₃ZnN. The various carbon-doped compounds were studied using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and their electrical resistivities, specific heats, and degrees of magnetization were measured for temperatures of 2-400 K. The sharp antiferromagnetic-to- paramagnetic transition of the host material at 185 K broadened markedly as the carbon content was increased, and a significant ferromagnetic character was found to coexist with the antiferromagnetism when the carbon concentration exceeded 27 at%. This critical magnetic behavior is likely in part due to the increase in the density of states at the Fermi level and the increase in the distance between neighboring Mn atoms. The exact mechanism responsible for the induction of the complicated magnetic state could not be determined. However, the results demonstrate clearly that the chemical tuning of the X site in antiperovskite Mn₃AX materials is as useful as that of the A and Mn sites and can be used to develop the properties of these materials for practical applications.