Pressure-induced magnetic phase transition in CrTe at approximately 7 GPa

High-pressure ac susceptibility and magnetization measurements have been ma de for the itinerant ferromagnet Cr48Te52 up to 8.5 and 17.2 GPa, respectiv ely, to investigate the existence of a pressure-induced magnetic phase tran sition. The Curie temperature T-c (342 K at ambient pressure) decreased wit h increasing pressure at a rate of -53 K / GPa together with the height of the susceptibility peak associated with the paramagnetic-ferromagnetic tran sition. On applying pressures of 5-7 CPa, T-c decreased to about 70 K, and at pressures above 7 GPa any anomaly was not observed in the temperature de pendence of the susceptibility. Magnetization measurements at low magnetic fields showed hysteresis of the M-T curves at low temperature which disappe ared at about 7 GPa. These results suggest that the pressure-induced magnet ic phase transition occurs at about 7 GPa in Cr48Te52. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.