(TM = transition metal) system*

The tetragonal to collapsed tetragonal phase transition¹ combines dramatic changes in structural, electronic, and (sometimes) magnetic states. This phase transformation can be controlled by application of hydrostatic pressure or uniaxial stress and offers the possibility of achieving shape memory behavior combined with remarkable super-elastic properties in intermetallic compounds.² For the SrTM₂P₂ system, given that the collapse occurs when P-P bonding takes place across Sr plane, TM substitution is the least perturbative substitution that can be made. As part of our effort to broaden our understanding and control of this transition, we have studied the effects of transition metal substitution on SrNi₂P₂. Here we report on solution growth and transport measurements on single crystals of SrTM₂P₂ (TM = Ni, Rh, Pd, Cu) which are potential hosts for the tetragonal collapse transition. Particularly, the effects of Rh-doping on SrNi₂P₂ will be discussed.
¹Kreyssig et al., PRB 78, 184517 (2008).
²Sypek et al., Nat. Commun. 8, 1083 (2017).