Spin ice behavior in Dy2Sn2-xSbxO7+x/2 and Dy2NbScO7

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic and thermal properties of specific Dy-based pyrochlore materials, revealing spin ice behavior and the robustness of these states even with cation disorder, expanding understanding of frustrated magnetic systems.

Contribution

It demonstrates spin ice states in Dy2Sn2-xSbxO7+x/2 and Dy2NbScO7, highlighting their resilience to cation disorder and providing new insights into frustrated magnetism.

Findings

Dy2Sn2-xSbxO7+x/2 exhibits Ising-like ground states.

These materials have zero point entropy similar to canonical spin ices.

Dy2NbScO7 shows reduced zero point entropy, likely due to cation disorder.

Abstract

We report the magnetic and thermal properties of Dy2Sn2-xSbxO7+x/2, x = 0, 0.25, and 0.5, and Dy2NbScO7. We find evidence for Ising-like single ion ground states in the Dy2Sn2-xSbxO7+x/2 materials. These materials possess nearly the same zero point entropy as the canonical spin ices Ho2Ti2O7 and Dy2Ti2O7, strongly suggesting that they have spin ice states at low temperatures. We also observe a somewhat reduced zero point entropy in Dy2NbScO7, which is possibly associated with the higher level of cation disorder. The ice-like states in these materials with cation disorder on the B-sites of the pyrochlore lattice provide new evidence for the robust nature of spin ice behavior in the presence of disorder.