Title: First-Order Reversal Curves of the Magnetostructural Phase Transition in FeTe,
Abstract: We apply the first-order reversal curve (FORC) method, borrowed from studies
of ferromagnetic materials, to the magneto-structural phase transition of FeTe.
FORC measurements reveal two features in the hysteretic phase transition, even
in samples where traditional temperature measurements display only a single
transition. For Fe1.13Te, the influence of magnetic field suggests that the
main feature is primarily structural while a smaller, slightly
higher-temperature transition is magnetic in origin. By contrast Fe1.03Te has a
single transition which shows a uniform response to magnetic field, indicating
a stronger coupling of the magnetic and structural phase transitions. We also
introduce uniaxial stress, which spreads the distribution width without
changing the underlying energy barrier of the transformation. The work shows
how FORC can help disentangle the roles of the magnetic and structural phase
transitions in FeTe.