Competition between magnetic interactions and structural instabilities leading to itinerant frustration in the triangular lattice antiferromagnet LiCrSe2
Journal article, 2023
LiCrSe2 constitutes a recent valuable addition to the ensemble of two-dimensional triangular lattice antiferromagnets. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of the low temperature nuclear and magnetic structure established in this material. Being subject to a strong magnetoelastic coupling, LiCrSe2 was found to undergo a first order structural transition from a trigonal crystal system (P3 ¯ m1) to a monoclinic one (C2/m) at T s = 30 K. Such restructuring of the lattice is accompanied by a magnetic transition at T N = 30 K. Refinement of the magnetic structure with neutron diffraction data and complementary muon spin rotation analysis reveal the presence of a complex incommensurate magnetic structure with a up-up-down-down arrangement of the chromium moments with ferromagnetic double chains coupled antiferromagnetically. The spin axial vector is also modulated both in direction and modulus, resulting in a spin density wave-like order with periodic suppression of the chromium moment along the chains. This behavior is believed to appear as a result of strong competition between direct exchange antiferromagnetic and superexchange ferromagnetic couplings established between both nearest neighbor and next nearest neighbor Cr3+ ions. We finally conjecture that the resulting magnetic order is stabilized via subtle vacancy/charge order within the lithium layers, potentially causing a mix of two co-existing magnetic phases within the sample.
Author
E. Nocerino
AlbaNova University Center
Shintaro Kobayashi
Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI)
C. Witteveen
University of Zürich
University of Geneva
Ola Kenji Forslund
Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics
Nami Matsubara
AlbaNova University Center
Chiu Tang
Diamond Light Source
Takeshi Matsukawa
Ibaraki University
Akinori Hoshikawa
Ibaraki University
Akihiro Koda
High Energy Accelerator Research Organization
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Kazuyoshi Yoshimura
Graduate School of Science
I. Umegaki
High Energy Accelerator Research Organization
Yasmine Sassa
Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics
F. O. von Rohr
University of Geneva
V. Pomjakushin
Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, Villigen
J. Brewer
University of British Columbia (UBC)
TRIUMF
Jun Sugiyama
Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society
Martin Månsson
AlbaNova University Center
Communications Materials
26624443 (eISSN)
Vol. 4 1 81Realization of Novel Low‐Dimensional Skyrmion Systems
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2017-05078), 2019-06-01 -- 2021-12-31.
Subject Categories
Condensed Matter Physics
DOI
10.1038/s43246-023-00407-x