Effect of Cation Substitution on Critical Fields in the n-type $Zn_{x}Sn_{y}Cr_{z}Se_{4}$ Spinel Semiconductors

The ac dynamic magnetic susceptibility was used to study a cation substitution on critical fields in polycrystalline ($Zn_{0.87}Sn_{0.048})Cr_{2.02}Se_{4}$ and $Zn_{0.93}[Cr_{1.95}Sn_{0.05}]Se_{4}$ spinels with tetra- and octahedral coordination of Sn ions, respectively. An increasing static magnetic field shifts the Néel temperature $T_{N}$ to lower temperatures while a susceptibility peak at $T_{m}$ in the paramagnetic region - to higher temperatures. Below $T_{N}$ the magnetic field dependence of susceptibility, $χ_{ac}(H)$, shows two peaks at critical fields $H_{c1}$ and $H_{c2}$. The values of $H_{c1}$ decrease slightly with temperature while the values of $H_{c2}$ decrease strongly with temperature, especially for spinel with octahedral coordination of Sn ions, suggesting a weakness of the ferromagnetic component.