Anisotropic Magnetic Phase Transition in a New Antiferromagnet Single Crystal of N-EuAgBi
摘要
We report a discovery of a new antiferromagnet EuAgBi (N-EuAgBi), which crystallizes in hexagonal space group P63/mmc (No. 194) in ZrBeSi-type structure with two Ag atoms occupying the same site. Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat reveal two antiferromagnetic orders of Eu developing at TN1= 5.4 K and TN2= 4.9 K. However, below the antiferromagnetic transition temperature of TN1, magnetic susceptibility shows an additional phase transition for the ab plane. Two successive magnetic phases in the presence of the magnetic field along the ab plane are observed, which is not observed when magnetic field is applied along the c axis. Those results imply that some modification of band structure induced by Ag atoms are responsible for the appearance of magnetic phases and anisotropy. Therefore, N-EuAgBi is a unique hexagonal structure antiferromagnet with complex crystal structure and field-induced magnetic phase.