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Among the large class of $A$-site ordered perovskites of stoichiometry $A{C}_{3}{B}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$, the rare-earth $(R)$ ruthenates $R{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ $(R=\mathrm{La}, \mathrm{Pr}, \mathrm{Nd})$ are interesting compounds due both to $\mathrm{Ru}\text{\ensuremath{-}}4d$-derived electronic correlations and to unconventional crystal-electric-field effects of the $R$ ions. Here we report on detailed investigations of these compounds utilizing x-ray diffraction, neutron scattering, magnetic susceptibility, and electrical resistivity measurements as well as heat capacity and nuclear resonance experiments. A broad range of external parameters is scanned and depending on the specific technique, temperatures range from 100 mK to 730 K in external magnetic fields up to 14 T. In this work ${\mathrm{LaCu}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ serves as reference compound with a nonmagnetic $A$ site, characterized in detail recently [S. Riegg et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 115149 (2016)]. All compounds investigated reveal heavy-fermion behavior with a ${T}^{2}$ dependence of the low-temperature electrical resistivity and significantly enhanced Sommerfeld coefficients. Toward low temperatures, the compounds with $R=\mathrm{Pr}$ and Nd are dominated by the magnetic moments of the $R$ ions, which occupy crystallographic positions with point-group symmetry ${T}_{h}$. The crystal-electric-field effects are clearly visible especially in heat capacity and inelastic neutron scattering data from which the crystal-electric-field parameters are derived. The ground state of the ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{3+}$ ion is identified as a triplet $({\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{4}^{(1)})$, whereas for ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ it is a quartet $({\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{67})$. Evidence for lowering of the ${T}_{h}$ symmetry is observed at the Pr site at temperatures below 10 K, suggesting the formation of orbital order. Moreover, the spin-lattice relaxation derived from $^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ nuclear quadrupole resonance indicates characteristic temperatures close to 7 K and 350 mK, probably related to orbital and magnetic order, respectively.

In this work we investigate the solid-solution series La y Cu3Ru x Ti4−x O12. The titanate La2/3Cu3Ti4O12 (x = 0) is an antiferromagnetic insulator exhibiting colossal dielectric constants, while the ruthenate LaCu3Ru4O12 (x = 4) is known as a rare d-electron derived heavy-fermion compound. Detailed structural investigations, AC- and DC-magnetization measurements, resistivity, specific-heat, and magnetic-resonance investigations have been performed for all polycrystalline compounds prepared by solid-state synthesis. These experiments have been accompanied by band-structure calculations. Close to the Ru concentration x = 2 we identify a quantum-critical point coinciding with a metal-to-insulator transition. The quantum-critical point separates an insulating spin glass from a paramagnetic metal. Interestingly, there is no evidence for a divergence of the effective mass upon reaching the quantum-critical point from the metallic side. In the paramagnetic metal, Ru behaves like a canonical Kondo ion. While the Ru oxidation state remains stable at + 4 for the whole concentration regime, the Cu valence seems to decrease from + 2 in the insulating antiferromagnet with localized copper spins to a significantly lower value in the metallic heavy-fermion compounds.

We report on experiments of the bulk susceptibility χ(T), heat capacity C(T)/T, resistivity ρ(T) and nuclear resonances (NMR and NQR) in order to review evidence of quantum critical behaviour in some metallic transition-metal oxides. In analogy to the conventional 4f- and 5f-electron based heavy-fermion compounds, the prerequisites of quantum criticality, i.e. a magnetic phase transition at T=0 accompanied by non-Fermi liquid behaviour, are observed in LiV2O4 which was the first transition-metal oxide showing heavy-fermion properties. Furthermore, we investigate the large group of copper-ruthenates of the composition ACu3RuxTi4−xO12 which also demonstrate heavy-fermion and non-Fermi liquid properties. For LaCu3RuxTi4−xO12 we establish a magnetic phase diagram where the substitution of titanium by ruthenium cations suppresses long-range magnetic order in favour of a magnetic quantum critical point, which comes along with a metal-to-insulator transition. Our experiments elucidate open questions concerning the nature of the heavy-fermion properties, intermediate valence, and the origin of the metal-to-insulator transition. Specifically, the role of the ruthenium and copper d-electrons is addressed: the metal-to-insulator transition turns out to correlate with the increasing itinerancy of local moments at the Cu site in our doping experiments.

We present the results of magnetization, electron spin resonance (ESR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on single-crystal samples of the frustrated $S=1/2$ chain cuprate LiCu${}_{2}$O${}_{2}$ doped with nonmagnetic Zn${}^{2+}$. As shown by the x-ray techniques, the crystals of Li(Cu${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Zn${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$O${}_{2}$ with $xl0.12$ are single-phase, whereas for higher Zn concentrations the samples were polyphase. ESR spectra for all monophase samples ($0\ensuremath{\le}xl0.12$) can be explained within the model of a planar spin structure with a uniaxial type anisotropy. The NMR spectra of the highly doped single-crystal sample Li(Cu${}_{0.9}$Zn${}_{0.1}$)${}_{2}$O${}_{2}$ can be described in the frame of a planar spin-glass-like magnetic structure with short-range spiral correlations in the crystal $ab$ planes with strongest exchange bonds. The value of magnetic moments of Cu${}^{2+}$ ions in this structure is close to the value obtained for undoped crystals: (0.8 $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}$ 0.1) ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$.

BaV3O8 contains both magnetic V4+(S=1/2) ions and non-magnetic V5+(S=0) ions. The V4+ ions are arranged in a coupled Majumdar-Ghosh chain like network. Our magnetic susceptibility chi(T) data fit well with the Curie-Weiss formula in the temperature range of 80-300K and it yields a Curie constant C=0.39cm3K/mole-V4+ and an antiferromagnetic Weiss temperature theta=-26K. The chi(T) curve shows a broad maximum at T~25K indicative of short-range order (SRO) and an anomaly corresponding to long-range order (LRO) at TN~6K. The value of the frustration index (f=mod[theta/TN]~5) suggests that the system is moderately frustrated. Above the LRO temperature the experimental magnetic susceptibility data match well with the coupled Majumdar-Ghosh chain model with the ratio of the nnn (next-nearest neighbor) to nn (nearest neighbor) magnetic coupling alpha=2 and Jnnn/kB=40K. In a mean-field approach when considering the inter-chain interactions, we obtain the total inter-chain coupling to be about 16K. The LRO anomaly at TN is also observe in the specific heat Cp(T) data and is not sensitive to an applied magnetic field up to 90kOe. A 51V NMR signal corresponding to the non-magnetic vanadium was observed. Anomalies at 6K were observed in the variation with temperature of the 51V NMR linewidth and in the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1, indicating that they are sensitive to the LRO onset and fluctuations at the magnetic V sites. The existence of two components (one short and another long) is observed in the spin-spin relaxation rate 1/T2 data in the vicinity of TN. The shorter component seems to be intimately connected with the magnetically ordered state. We suggest that both magnetically ordered and non-long range ordered (non-LRO) regions coexist in this compound below the long range ordering temperature.

The transition-metal oxide ${\text{CaCu}}_{3}{\text{Ru}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{12}$ with perovskite-type structure shows characteristic properties of an intermediate-valence system. The temperature-dependent susceptibility exhibits a broad maximum around 150--160 K. At this temperature, neutron powder diffraction reveals a small but significant volume change whereby the crystal structure is preserved. Moreover, the temperature-dependent resistivity changes its slope. NMR Knight shift measurements of Ru reveal a cross-over from high temperature paramagnetic behavior of localized moments to itinerant band states at low temperatures. Additional density-functional theory calculations can relate the structural anomaly with the $d$-electron number. The different experimental and calculational methods result in a mutually consistent description of ${\text{CaCu}}_{3}{\text{Ru}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{12}$ as an intermediate-valent system in the classical sense of having low-energy charge fluctuations.

We report on NMR studies of the quasi--1D antiferromagnetic $S=1/2$ chain cuprate LiCuVO$_4$, focusing on the high--field spin--modulated phase observed recently in applied magnetic fields $H > H_{\rm c2}$ ($��_0H_{\rm c2} \approx 7.5$ T). The NMR spectra of $^7$Li and $^{51}$V around the transition from the ordered to the paramagnetic state were measured. It is shown that the spin--modulated magnetic structure forms with ferromagnetic interactions between spins of neighboring chains within the {\bf ab}--plane at low temperatures 0.6 K $ < T < T_{\rm N}$. The best fit provides evidence that the mutual orientation between spins of neighboring {\bf ab}--planes is random. For elevated temperatures $T_{\rm N} < T \lesssim 15$ K, short--range magnetic order occurs at least on the characteristic time scale of the NMR experiment., 5 pages, 5 figures

We present bulk magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, transport, NMR, and NQR results of the perovskite compound ${\text{CaCu}}_{3}{\text{Ru}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{12}$. The data consistently describe a metallic state with a moderately enhanced Sommerfeld coefficient of $\ensuremath{\gamma}=92\text{ }\text{mJ}/\text{mol}\text{ }{\text{K}}^{2}$ and a spin-fluctuation temperature of about 180 K. The heat capacity below 2 K shows a logarithmic increase providing evidence for non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) behavior in ${\text{CaCu}}_{3}{\text{Ru}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{12}$. Further signatures of NFL properties are found in NQR measurements revealing deviations from a Korringa behavior of the spin-lattice relaxation rate. The results are discussed with respect to heavy-fermion and NFL properties in other transition-metal compounds and traditional $f$-electron systems.

The formation of carbon particles on cold surfaces takes place when rare-gas solids containing trapped carbon vapor molecules are sublimed. This formation process is accompanied by violent effects such as flashes of lightemission and splashing of luminous fragments, both observable with the naked eye. The recorded optical emission spectrum shows a continuum attributable to a blackbody radiation of ∼2500 K. We believe the violent effects are associated with exothermic reactions following the rearrangement of bonds, which leads from the metastable sp-carbon chains to the more stable sp 2 form of carbon particles.

An absorption band probably due to solid ammonia on interstellar grains has been detected in the infrared spectrum at 2.97 microns of the Becklin-Neugebauer object and probably in NGC 2264-IR. An ammonia-water amorphous ice mixture can explain the structure of the new band and of the 3.07 microns interstellar absorption. Laboratory data suggest that a long wavelength wind extending to 3.5 microns in interstellar dust spectra may be absorption by NH3-H2O complexes in the ices. In the molecular cloud obscuring the BN object, about 20 times as much NH3 is frozen in grains as exists in the gas phase, suggesting the gas-grain interactions may be important in the ammonia chemistry of molecular clouds. Arguments are given that interstellar features at 6.0 and 6.8 microns are also ammonia-related absorptions.