Ni3TeO6 - a collinear antiferromagnet with ferromagnetic honeycomb planes

TL;DR

This paper investigates Ni3TeO6, revealing its antiferromagnetic order with ferromagnetic honeycomb planes and detailed magnetic structure, contributing to understanding noncentrosymmetric magnetic materials.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive magnetic characterization of Ni3TeO6, including neutron diffraction confirmation of its antiferromagnetic structure with ferromagnetic honeycomb planes.

Findings

Magnetic ordering at TN = 52 K

Antiferromagnetic stacking of ferromagnetic planes

Ni moments aligned along the c-axis

Abstract

We report a comprehensive study of magnetic properties of Ni3TeO6. The system crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric rhombohedral lattice, space group R3. There are three differently coordinated Ni atoms in the unit cell. Two of them form an almost planar honeycomb lattice, while the third one is placed between the layers. Magnetization and specific heat measurements revealed a single magnetic ordering at TN = 52 K. Below TN the susceptibility with the magnetic field parallel to the c-axis drops towards zero while the perpendicular susceptibility remains constant, a characteristic of antiferromagnetic materials. Neutron diffraction confirmed that the system is antiferromagnet below TN with ferromagnetic ab-planes stacked antiferromagnetically along the c-axis. All Ni moments are in the S = 1 spin state and point along the c-axis.