Magnetic and electronic structures of antiferromagnetic topological material candidate EuMg2Bi2

Abstract

EuMg2Bi2 has been investigated to understand the electronic and magnetic behaviors as an antiferromagnetic (AFM) topological semimetal candidate. High-quality single crystals of EuMg2Bi2 were grown via a Bi flux and, subsequently, characterized to be consistent with the previously reported bulk magnetic and resistivity properties. A ferromagnetic interaction is indicated by the positive Curie-Weiss temperature obtained through fitting the bulk magnetic susceptibility data. The bulk resistivity measurements reveal an interesting electronic behavior that is potentially influenced by a competing antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interaction in and out of the ab plane. From the resulting refinement of the neutron diffraction data, EuMg2Bi2 was found to exhibit an A-type magnetic structure with Eu2+ moments ferromagnetically aligned in the plane and antiferromagnetically stacked between neighbor ferromagnetic Eu layers. The power law fitting magnetic ordering parameter below TN ∼8 K agrees with the 2D Heisenberg model, indicating a weak interlayer antiferromagnetic interaction. Considering the magnetic structure determined by neutron diffraction, the surface state calculation suggests that EuMg2Bi2 is an AFM topological insulator candidate. Linearly dispersed Dirac surface states were also observed in our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, consistent with the calculation.