Co[V2]o4: a spinel approaching the itinerant electron limit

Phys Rev Lett. 2011 Feb 4;106(5):056602. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.056602. Epub 2011 Feb 4.

Abstract

Studies of the structure, magnetization, and resistivity under pressure on stoichiometric normal spinel Co[V(2)]O(4) single crystals show (i) absence of a structural distortion, (ii) abnormal magnetic critical exponents, and (iii) metallic conductivity induced by pressures at low temperatures. All these results prove that Co[V(2)]O(4) sits on the edge of the itinerant-electron limit. Compared with similar measurements on Fe[V(2)]O(4) and other A[V(2)]O(4) studies, it is shown that a critical V-V separation for a localized-itinerant electronic phase transition exists.