Moment canting and domain effects in antiferromagnetic DyRh${}_2$Si${}_2$

Abstract

A combined experimental and theoretical study of the layered antiferromagnetic compound DyRh${}_2$Si${}_2$ in the ThCr${}_2$Si${}_2$-type structure is presented. The heat capacity shows two transitions upon cooling, the first one at the N{é}el temperature $T_{\mathrm{N}}=55\mathrm{K}$ and a second one at $T_{N2}=12\mathrm{K}$. Using magnetization measurements, we study the canting process of the Dy moments upon changing the temperature and can assign $T_{N2}$ to the onset of the canting of the magnetic moments towards the $[100]$ direction away from the $c$ axis. Furthermore, we found that the field dependence of the magnetization is highly anisotropic and shows a two-step process for $H\parallel 001$. We used a mean-field model to determine the crystalline electric field as well as the exchange interaction parameters. Our magnetization data together with the calculations reveal a moment orientation close to the $[101]$ direction in the tetragonal structure at low temperatures and fields. Applying photoemission electron microscopy, we explore the (001) surface of the cleaved DyRh${}_2$Si${}_2$ single crystal and visualize Si- and Dy-terminated surfaces. Our results indicate that the Si-Rh-Si surface protects the deeper lying magnetically active Dy layers and is thus attractive for investigation of magnetic domains and their properties in the large family of LnT${}_2$Si${}_2$ materials.

References in corpus (2)

• Nanometric square skyrmion lattice in a centrosymmetric tetragonal magnet
• Single crystal growth and characterization of GdRh${}_2$Si${}_2$

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Anisotropic magnetism of polymorphic ErAl3
• Photoemission insights into lanthanide-based crystals