Study of the electrophysical and magnetic properties of a Dirac 3D semimetal Cd3As2 with nanogranules of MnAs

We report on the main results of studying the electrical and magnetoresistance (MR) of a composite material consisting of 70 % mol. Dirac semi-metal Cd₃As₂ and 30 % mol. ferromagnet MnAs at pressures up to 50 GPa in a diamond anvil cell with a «rounded cone-flat» type anvils, as well as magnetization at hydrostatic pressures up to 6 GPa in a toroid-shaped high-pressure cell, both at room temperature and in the temperature range of 180 – 350 K at atmospheric pressure. A mixture of methanol and ethanol in a ratio of 4:1 was used as a pressure transmitting medium. Elemental analysis of Cd₃As₂ + 30 % mol MnAs composites showed that much of the volume is occupied by the Cd₃As₂ phase. The proportion of MnAs phase inclusions is less than 5 %. The feature of Cd₃As₂ + MnAs is the presence of a significant region of non-mixing of the Cd₃As₂ and MnAs phase melts. A negative MR was revealed with increasing pressure in the entire studied baric zone. The maximum negative MR is observed in the baric zone of 22 – 26 GPa. Further increase in the pressure up to the maximum level result in the appearance of several extrema on the ΔR/R₀(P) curve, with negative MR not exceeding 4 %. Upon pressure release from 50 GPa, the baric dependence of ΔR/R₀(P) is characterized by an inversion of the MR sign: at pressures around 40 GPa, a negative MR is replaced by a positive MR, and at around 20 GPa, the maximum value of positive MR of ~5.3 % is observed. Signs of the instability of the monoclinic structure of Cd₃As₂ resulted from its partial decomposition upon decompression were revealed. The results obtained can be used in spintronics when using appropriate composite materials.

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