Canted Eu magnetic structure in EuMnS b2

Abstract

Magnetic ordering breaks the time-reversal symmetry, greatly impacting material topological properties. We report the investigation of the magnetic properties of the layered EuMnSb2, which has two sets of magnetic sublattices. Both the magnetization and electrical resistivity reveal two phase transitions with one at TN,Eu∼21K and the other at TN,Mn∼346K. Single crystal neutron diffraction refinement indicates that both transitions are originated from magnetic ordering. Below TN,Mn, the Mn sublattice forms the C-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure with moments [(4.5±0.6)μB at 7 K] pointing along the a axis. Below TN,Eu, the Eu sublattice forms the canted A-type AFM structure with moments [(5.9±0.8)μB at 7 K] lying in the ac plane but pointing (41 ± 1)° away from the a axis. Quantitative analysis indicates that the spin-spin correlation length, while anisotropic, has long-range characteristic in all directions for both the Eu and Mn sublattices.