Spin glass behavior in the disordered half-Heusler compound IrMnGa

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Johannes Kroder - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Kaustuv Manna - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Dominik Kriegner - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • A. S. Sukhanov - , Chair of Physics of Quantum Materials, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Enke Liu - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Horst Borrmann - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Andreas Hoser - , Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy (Author)
  • Johannes Gooth - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Walter Schnelle - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Dmytro S. Inosov - , Chair of Neutron Spectroscopy of Condensed Matter (Author)
  • Gerhard H. Fecher - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Claudia Felser - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)

Abstract

Heusler compounds with heavy elements often display noncollinear magnetic structures, which can lead to phenomena such as the topological Hall effect. In this study, we report the structural, magnetic, electronic, and transport properties of IrMnGa. X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments reveal that the compound crystallizes in the cubic half-Heusler space group 216 with Y -type disorder. Manganese occupies two nonequivalent positions, causing frustration and preventing long-range magnetic order. As a consequence, a spin glass state is observed below 74 K. The spin glass state exhibits a pronounced bifurcation between field-cooled and zerofield-cooled magnetization curves, shifted hysteresis loops after field cooling, magnetic relaxation, the memory effect, absence of magnetic-ordering peaks in neutron diffraction, and a sharp cusp of the ac susceptibility. The shift of the freezing temperature as a function of ac frequency is well described by the Vogel-Fulcher law and by a critical-scaling approach indicating that IrMnGa is a canonical spin glass. Magnetotransport (including the anomalous Hall effect) and heat capacity were also investigated.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number174410
Number of pages10
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume99
Issue number17
Publication statusPublished - 13 May 2019
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85066413997

Keywords

Keywords

  • MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES, TRANSITION, SUSCEPTIBILITY, TEMPERATURE, RELAXATION, FREQUENCY, DYNAMICS, ALLOYS, STATE, FIELD

Library keywords