Spin-glass state and reversed magnetic anisotropy induced by Cr doping in the Kitaev magnet $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$

Abstract

Magnetic properties of the substitution series Ru${}_{1-x}$Cr${}_x$Cl${}_3$ were investigated to determine the evolution from the anisotropic Kitaev magnet $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ with $J_{\mathrm{eff}}=1/2$ magnetic Ru${}^{3+}$ ions to the isotropic Heisenberg magnet CrCl${}_3$ with $S=3/2$ magnetic Cr${}^{3+}$ ions. Magnetization measurements on single crystals revealed a reversal of the magnetic anisotropy under doping, which we argue to arise from the competition between anisotropic Kitaev and off-diagonal interactions on the Ru-Ru links and approximately isotropic Cr-Ru and isotropic Cr-Cr interactions. In addition, combined magnetization, ac susceptibility and specific-heat measurements clearly show the destabilization of the long-range magnetic order of $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ in favor of a spin-glass state of Ru${}_{1-x}$Cr${}_x$Cl${}_3$ for a low doping of $x\backsimeq 0.1$. The corresponding freezing temperature as a function of Cr content shows a broad maximum around $x\backsimeq 0.45$.

References in corpus (9)

• Mott Insulators in the Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling Limit: From Heisenberg to a Quantum Compass and Kitaev Models
• Successive magnetic phase transitions in $\mathbf{\alpha }$-RuCl${}_3$: XY-like frustrated magnet on the honeycomb lattice
• Measurement-Only Topological Quantum Computation
• Anisotropic Ru3+ 4d5 magnetism in the alpha-RuCl3 honeycomb system: susceptibility, specific heat and Zero field NMR
• Magnetization processes of zigzag states on the honeycomb lattice: Identifying spin models for $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ and Na${}_2$IrO${}_3$
• Disorder in a quantum spin liquid: flux binding and local moment formation
• Effect of nonmagnetic dilution in honeycomb lattice iridates Na${}_2$IrO${}_3$ and Li${}_2$IrO${}_3$
• High-pressure magnetization and NMR studies on $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Detuning the Honeycomb of the α-RuCl3 Kitaev lattice: A case of Cr3+ dopant

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Electron spin resonance and ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy in the high-field phase of the van der Waals magnet CrCl${}_3$
• Detuning the Honeycomb of the α-RuCl3 Kitaev lattice: A case of Cr3+ dopant