Magnetic properties of chiral EuIr 2 P 2

GARCÍA, D. J.; VILDOSOLA, V.; ALIGIA, A. A.; FRANCO, D. G.; CORNAGLIA, PABLO S.

Physical Review B

aps

Año: 2021 vol. 104

2469-9950

We present a minimal model that provides a description of the magnetic and thermodynamic properties ofEuIr 2 P 2 . The model contains two exchange coupling parameters, which are calculated using density functionaltheory, and a local easy-axis magnetic anisotropy term. The classical ground state of the system is a generaliza-tion of the well known 120 ◦ structure observed in triangular antiferromagnets. Monte Carlo simulations showtwo phase transitions as a function of the temperature. With increasing temperature, the system transitions fromthe ground state into a high-entropy collinear antiferromagnet, which in turn at higher temperatures presents asecond-order transition to a paramagnetic state. A high enough external magnetic field parallel to the anisotropyaxis produces a spin-flop transition at low temperatures. The field also reduces the temperature range of stabilityof the collinear antiferromagnet phase and leads to a single-phase transition as a function of the temperature. Thereported behavior of the specific heat, the magnetization, and the magnetic susceptibility is in agreement withthe available experimental data. Finally, we present the magnetic phase diagrams for magnetic fields parallel andperpendicular to the easy axis.