Magnetic susceptibility of the frustrated spinels ZnCr2O4, MgCr2O4 and CdCr2O4

TL;DR

This paper compares two models for analyzing magnetic susceptibilities of frustrated Cr spinels, successfully fitting experimental data and discussing exchange interactions.

Contribution

It evaluates the Quantum Tetrahedral Mean Field and Generalized Constant Coupling models for Cr spinels, highlighting their effectiveness and differences.

Findings

Both models fit experimental data well.

Quantum Tetrahedral Mean Field model shows slightly better agreement for Zn and Mg.

Exchange constants for nearest and next-nearest neighbors are discussed.

Abstract

We analyzed the magnetic susceptibilities of several Cr spinels using two recent models for the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore lattice, the Quantum Tetrahedral Mean Field model and a Generalized Constant Coupling model. Both models can describe the experimental data for ACr2 O4 (with A = Zn, Mg, and Cd) satisfactorily, with the former yielding a somewhat better agreement with experiment for A = Zn, Mg. The obtained exchange constants for nearest and next-nearest neighbors are discussed.