Half-magnetization plateau and the origin of threefold symmetry breaking in an electrically switchable triangular antiferromagnet

We perform high-field magnetization measurements on the triangular lattice antiferromagnet Fe_{1/3}NbS_{2}. We observe a plateau in the magnetization centered at approximately half the saturation magnetization over a wide range of temperature and magnetic field. From density functional theory calcul...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shannon C. Haley, Sophie F. Weber, Tessa Cookmeyer, Daniel E. Parker, Eran Maniv, Nikola Maksimovic, Caolan John, Spencer Doyle, Ariel Maniv, Sanath K. Ramakrishna, Arneil P. Reyes, John Singleton, Joel E. Moore, Jeffrey B. Neaton, James G. Analytis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2020-10-01
Series:Physical Review Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.043020
Description
Summary:We perform high-field magnetization measurements on the triangular lattice antiferromagnet Fe_{1/3}NbS_{2}. We observe a plateau in the magnetization centered at approximately half the saturation magnetization over a wide range of temperature and magnetic field. From density functional theory calculations, we determine a likely set of magnetic exchange constants. Incorporating these constants into a minimal Hamiltonian model of our material, we find that the plateau and the Z_{3} symmetry-breaking ground state both arise from the competition of interplane and intraplane exchange interactions. These findings are pertinent to the magnetoelectric properties of Fe_{1/3}NbS_{2}, which allow electrical switching of antiferromagnetic textures at relatively low current densities.
ISSN:2643-1564