Magnetic interactions and high-field properties of Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7): frustrated alternating chain close to the dimer limit

TL;DR

This study investigates the high-field magnetic properties of Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7), revealing a frustrated alternating chain near the dimer limit with specific critical fields and minimal influence of frustration on high-field behavior.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed high-field magnetic characterization of Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7), highlighting its proximity to the dimer limit and the effects of frustration on its magnetic properties.

Findings

Critical fields at 23 T and 30 T identified.

Magnetization increases sharply between H_{c1} and H_{c2}.

Frustration has little impact on high-field properties.

Abstract

We report on high-field magnetic properties of the silver vanadium phosphate Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7). This compound has a layered crystal structure, but the specific topology of the V-P-O framework gives rise to a one-dimensional spin system, a frustrated alternating chain. Low-field magnetization measurements and band structure calculations show that Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7) is close to the dimer limit with the largest nearest-neighbor interaction of about 30 K. High-field magnetization data reveal the critical fields \mu_0H_{c1} of about 23 T (closing of the spin gap) and \mu_0H_{c2} of about 30 T (saturation by full alignment of the magnetic moments). From H_{c1} to H_{c2} the magnetization increases sharply similar to the system of isolated dimers. Thus, the magnetic frustration in Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7) bears little influence on the high-field properties of this compound.