Flat band magnetism and helical magnetic order in Ni-doped SrCo${}_2$As${}_2$

Abstract

A series of Sr(Co${}_{1-x}$Ni${}_x$)${}_2$As${}_2$ single crystals was synthesized allowing a comprehensive phase diagram with respect to field, temperature, and chemical substitution to be established. Our neutron diffraction experiments revealed a helimagnetic order with magnetic moments ferromagnetically (FM) aligned in the $ab$ plane and a helimagnetic wavevector of $q=(0,0,0.56)$ for $x$ = 0.1. The combination of neutron diffraction and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements show that the tuning of a flat band with $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbital character drives the helimagnetism and indicates the possibility of a quantum order-by-disorder mechanism.

9 pages, 12 figures, Supplementary Material available upon request, accepted by Phys. Rev. B