Complex and strongly anisotropic magnetism in the pure spin system EuRh2Si2

Abstract

In divalent Eu systems, the 4f local moment has a pure spin state J=S=7/2. Although the absence of orbital moment precludes crystal electric field effects, we report a sizeable magnetic anisotropy in single crystals of EuRh2Si2. We observed a surprisingly complex magnetic behavior with three succesive phase transitions. The Eu2+ moments order in a likely amplitude-modulated structure below 24.5K, undergoing a further transition to a structure that is possibly of the equal moment type, and a first order transition at lower temperatures, presumably into a spin spiral structure. The sharp metamagnetic transition observed at low fields applied perpendicular to the hard axis is consistent with a change from a spiral to a fan structure. These magnetic structures are presumably formed by ferromagnetic planes perpendicular to the c axis, stacked antiferromagnetically along c but not of type I, at least just below the ordering temperature. Since EuRh2Si2 is isoelectronic to EuFe2As2, our results are also relevant for the complex Eu-magnetism observed there, especially for the transition from an antiferromagnetic to a ferromagnetic state observed in EuFe2P2 upon substituting As by P.

submitted to Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter

References in corpus (2)

• Metamagnetic transition in EuFe${}_2$As${}_2$ single crystals
• Magnetic ordering and dense Kondo behaviour in EuFe${}_2$P${}_2$

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Single crystal growth and characterization of GdRh${}_2$Si${}_2$
• Competing magnetic states, disorder, and the magnetic character of Fe3Ga4
• Crystal growth by Bridgman and Czochralski method of the ferromagnetic quantum critical material YbNi${}_4$P${}_2$
• Evolution from Ferromagnetism to Antiferromagnetism in Yb(Rh1-xCox)2Si2
• Charge, lattice and magnetism across the valence crossover in EuIr${}_2$Si${}_2$ single crystals
• Large magnetoresistance and first-order phase transition in antiferromagnetic single-crystalline EuAg${}_4$Sb${}_2$
• The magnetic field induced ferromagnetism in EuPd${}_2$Sn${}_4$ novel compound
• Resonant elastic X-ray scattering of antiferromagnetic superstructures in EuPtSi${}_3$
• From valence fluctuations to long-range magnetic order in EuPd${}_2$(Si${}_{1-x}$Ge${}_x$)${}_2$ single crystals
• Photoemission insights into lanthanide-based crystals