Bilayer Square Lattice Tb2SrAl2O7with Structural Z8Vortices and Magnetic Frustration

Xianghan Xu, Fei Ting Huang, Alemayehu S. Admasu, Jaewook Kim, Kefeng Wang, Erxi Feng, Huibo Cao, Sang Wook Cheong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The bilayer perovskites' family A3B2O7 holds rich structural complexity. When magnetism freedom is added in, great opportunities appear for new physics. Magnetic Tb ions in Tb2SrAl2O7 are known to crystallize in a bilayer square lattice. The results of our comprehensive neutron, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments reveal a crystallographic P42/mnm symmetry accompanied with room-temperature topological type-II Z8 vortex domains, whose density is controllable by cooling rates, as described by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. The DC magnetic susceptibility without long-range order down to 1.8 K suggests frustrated magnetism, while a spin freezing <2.5 K is observed in the AC susceptibility, which is likely due to the antisite disorder and another possible cause of no long-range ordering. Strong temperature evolution of magnetic anisotropy indicates an interplay of low-lying crystal electric field levels and anisotropic exchange interactions. Our results suggest that Tb2SrAl2O7 is a promising candidate of magnetic frustration in a bilayer square lattice, and this system can be a new playground for exploring exotic magnetic states in bilayer square lattices, topological magnetic edge states at coherent crystallographic domain walls, and multifunctional applications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1225-1234
Number of pages10
JournalChemistry of Materials
Volume34
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 8 2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Chemical Society.

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