Pressure-induced mixed states caused by spin-elastic interactions during first-order spin phase transition in spin crossover compounds

Abstract: Recently, the possibility of exploiting the phenomenon of spin transition (ST) has been intensively investigated, therefore, it is particularly important to study the behavior of ST under various stimuli. Here, the shape and content of the intermediate phase of ST in Hoffmann-like compounds Fe(Fpz)2M(CN)4 under external stimuli are studied. For this purpose, magnetic and Raman spectroscopy measurements were carried out. In pressure-induced spin transition (PIST), a mixture of high-spin and low-spin states appears, while in temperature-induced spin transition (TIST), a homogeneous state occurs. The first-order ST induced by pressure has a hysteresis, but is not abrupt. Whereas, the temperature-induced spin transition at ambient pressure is hysteretic and abrupt. To investigate this difference, we discuss using a thermodynamic model that considers elastic interactions, showing that the slope of the hysteresis loop is related to the appearance of internal pressure, which is related to the difference in sample compressibility under high spin and low spin states.