Effects of physical and chemical pressures in the ${\text{Mn}}_{1-x}{\text{Cr}}_x\text{CoGe}$ series of compounds are studied. Cr substitution and hydrostatic pressure play similar roles in displacing $T_{\text{C}}$ to lower temperatures and coupling or decoupling magnetic and crystallographic transitions. In this work the similarities and differences between the effects of chemical and physical pressures are explored, helping unveil the nature of the first-order phase transition presented by MnCoGe-based compounds.

• Received 13 May 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.020414