Single-ion anisotropy is necessary and appropriate to study the magnetic behavior of Tb3+ moments with Jeff=12 on the honeycomb lattice in Tb2Ir3Ga9

Randy S. Fishman
Phys. Rev. B 103, 214440 – Published 23 June 2021

Abstract

By developing models of increasing complexity, we show that a model without single-ion anisotropy (SIA) cannot explain the magnetic properties of Jeff=1/2 Tb3+ moments in the orthorhombically distorted, honeycomb material Tb2Ir3Ga9. In four different models for the magnetization of a single honeycomb layer, the only sources of anisotropy are symmetric exchange interactions Jnαβ=Jnβα along three different bonds n, an anisotropic g̲ tensor, and a Dzyalloshinskii-Moriya interaction (asymmetric exchange) that produces the observed canted moment along b. With 21 parameters, the best such model yields χ2=0.065, which is substantially smaller than χ2=0.112 obtained using a Heisenberg model containing six parameters including easy-axis anisotropy. However, models without SIA fail to reproduce the linear dependence of the magnetization with a field perpendicular to the Ising axis while predicting a saturation magnetization that is far too low. Due to the complex crystal-field environments, we argue that SIA is necessary to study low-symmetry, three-dimensional Jeff=1/2 materials containing Tb3+ ions.

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  • Received 15 April 2021
  • Revised 18 May 2021
  • Accepted 1 June 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.214440

©2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Randy S. Fishman

  • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, 37831 Tennessee, USA

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Issue

Vol. 103, Iss. 21 — 1 June 2021

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