Low-temperature negative thermal expansion of the antiperovskite manganese nitride Mn3CuN codoped with Ge and Si

We have synthesized antiperovskite manganese nitrides Mn-3(Cu0.6SixGe0.4-x)N, (x=0-0.2) and investigated their negative thermal expansion (NTE) in the temperature range of 80-300 K. We found that the transition temperature of NTE moves toward lower temperature region and as well the NTE operation-temperature window (Delta T) becomes broader with increasing Si content. Typically, the giant low-temperature NTE coefficient identified in Mn-3(Cu0.6Si0.15Ge0.25)N reaches as large as -16 x 10(-6) K-1, and its Delta T reaches as wide as 100 K. The magnetic properties of these compounds were measured and correlated with the broadened NTE operation-temperature window. The present discovery highlights the potential applications of NTE materials in cryogenic engineering. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.