The concentration of paramagnetic trace impurities in glasses can be determined via precise SQUID measurements of the sample’s magnetization in a magnetic field. However, the existence of quasi-ordered structural inhomogeneities in the disordered solid causes correlated tunneling currents that can contribute to the magnetization, surprisingly, also at the higher temperatures. We show that taking into account such tunneling systems gives rise to a good agreement between the concentrations extracted from SQUID magnetization and those extracted from low-temperature heat capacity measurements. Without suitable inclusion of such magnetization contribution from the tunneling currents, we find that the concentration of paramagnetic impurities gets considerably over-estimated. This analysis represents a further positive test for the structural inhomogeneity theory of the magnetic effects in the cold glasses.

On the Paramagnetic Impurity Concentration of Silicate Glasses from Low-Temperature Physics

JUG, GIANCARLO
2015-01-01

Abstract

The concentration of paramagnetic trace impurities in glasses can be determined via precise SQUID measurements of the sample’s magnetization in a magnetic field. However, the existence of quasi-ordered structural inhomogeneities in the disordered solid causes correlated tunneling currents that can contribute to the magnetization, surprisingly, also at the higher temperatures. We show that taking into account such tunneling systems gives rise to a good agreement between the concentrations extracted from SQUID magnetization and those extracted from low-temperature heat capacity measurements. Without suitable inclusion of such magnetization contribution from the tunneling currents, we find that the concentration of paramagnetic impurities gets considerably over-estimated. This analysis represents a further positive test for the structural inhomogeneity theory of the magnetic effects in the cold glasses.
2015
http://www.wkap.nl/journalhome.htm/0022-2291
Low- temperature properties of glasses; Low-temperature thermometry; Magnetic effects in insulating glasses; Magnetization of non-magnetic glasses; Condensed Matter Physics; Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics; Materials Science (all)
Bonfanti, Silvia; Jug, Giancarlo
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11383/2022552
 Attenzione

L'Ateneo sottopone a validazione solo i file PDF allegati

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 8
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 7
social impact