$3d$ flat bands and coupled $4f$ moments in the kagome-honeycomb permanent magnet Sm${}_2$Co${}_{17}$

Abstract

Rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs) with both localized moments and itinerant conduction bands are not only important for fundamental research but also have significant technological applications. In particular, Sm${}_2$Co${}_{17}$ is a prototypical high-temperture REPM, where the Co atoms form a kagome-honeycomb stacked lattice. Here we report synthesis of epitaxial Sm${}_2$Co${}_{17}$ films using molecular beam epitaxy and measurements of their momentum-resolved electronic structure from \textit{in-situ} angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results unveil two flat bands from Co $3d$ orbitals near the Fermi level ($E_F$), one at $\sim$\,--300\,meV and another right at $E_F$, which arise from orbital-selective destructive interference and strong electron correlations, respectively. In addition, our results reveal that Sm $4f$ states are far away from $E_F$ (hence mostly localized) and exhibit an anomalous temperature dependence, caused by the $3d$-$4f$ magnetic coupling. Our findings provide direct spectroscopic insights to understand the strong uniaxial ferromagnetism in Sm${}_2$Co${}_{17}$ (and REPMs alike). Our work also opens avenues to explore flat-band physics near $E_F$ and emergent phenomena in correlated kagome-honeycomb lattices.

9 pages, 5 figures