Stripe-yz magnetic order in the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet KCeS2

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

Abstract

Yb- and Ce-based delafossites were recently identified as effective spin-1/2 antiferromagnets on the triangular lattice. Several Yb-based systems, such as NaYbO2, NaYbS2, and NaYbSe2, exhibit no long-range order down to the lowest measured temperatures and therefore serve as putative candidates for the realization of a quantum spin liquid. However, their isostructural Ce-based counterpart KCeS2 exhibits magnetic order below T (N) = 400 mK, which was so far identified only in thermodynamic measurements. Here we reveal the magnetic structure of this long-range ordered phase using magnetic neutron diffraction. We show that it represents the so-called 'stripe-yz' type of antiferromagnetic order with spins lying approximately in the triangular-lattice planes orthogonal to the nearest-neighbor Ce-Ce bonds. No structural lattice distortions are revealed below T (N), indicating that the triangular lattice of Ce3+ ions remains geometrically perfect down to the lowest temperatures. We propose an effective Hamiltonian for KCeS2, based on a fit to the results of ab initio calculations, and demonstrate that its magnetic ground state matches the experimental spin structure.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer425802
Seitenumfang11
FachzeitschriftJournal of Physics: Condensed Matter
Jahrgang33
Ausgabenummer42
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 20 Okt. 2021
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

Scopus 85113302448
WOS 000683127300001
ORCID /0000-0001-7523-9313/work/142238548

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • triangular-lattice antiferromagnets, spin liquids, rare-earth magnetism, f-electron systems, rare-earth delafossites, stripe-yz magnetic order, magnetic anisotropy, KAGOME-LATTICE, LIQUID, CRYSTAL, STATE, EXCHANGE

Bibliotheksschlagworte