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Magnetization Process of Atacamite: A Case of Weakly Coupled S=1/2 Sawtooth Chains

L. Heinze1,*, H. O. Jeschke2, I. I. Mazin3,4, A. Metavitsiadis5, M. Reehuis6, R. Feyerherm6, J.-U. Hoffmann6, M. Bartkowiak6, O. Prokhnenko6 et al.

A. U. B. Wolter7, X. Ding8, V. S. Zapf8, C. Corvalán Moya9,8, F. Weickert8,†, M. Jaime8,†, K. C. Rule10, D. Menzel1, R. Valentí11, W. Brenig5, and S. Süllow1

  • 1Institut für Physik der Kondensierten Materie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
  • 2Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
  • 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA
  • 4Quantum Science and Engineering Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA
  • 5Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
  • 6Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, D-14109 Berlin, Germany
  • 7Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, Leibniz IFW Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
  • 8National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
  • 9National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), Tres de Febrero University (UNTREF), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina
  • 10Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2234, Australia
  • 11Institut für Theoretische Physik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

  • *Corresponding author. l.heinze@tu-braunschweig.de
  • †Present address: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany.
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 207201 – Published 18 May, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.207201

Abstract

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the mineral atacamite Cu2Cl(OH)3. Density-functional theory yields a Hamiltonian describing anisotropic sawtooth chains with weak 3D connections. Experimentally, we fully characterize the antiferromagnetically ordered state. Magnetic order shows a complex evolution with the magnetic field, while, starting at 31.5 T, we observe a plateaulike magnetization at about Msat/2. Based on complementary theoretical approaches, we show that the latter is unrelated to the known magnetization plateau of a sawtooth chain. Instead, we provide evidence that the magnetization process in atacamite is a field-driven canting of a 3D network of weakly coupled sawtooth chains that form giant moments.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 207201– Published 18 May, 2021
  • Received 19 April 2019
  • Revised 25 March 2021
  • Accepted 30 March 2021
Article part of CHORUS
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