{Rearrangement of the antiferromagnetic ordering at high magnetic fields in SmFeAsO and SmFeAsO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$ single crystals

TL;DR

This study reveals a high-field rearrangement of Sm-ion antiferromagnetic order in SmFeAsO and its fluorine-doped variant, indicating complex magnetic states and coupling effects in these iron-based superconductors.

Contribution

It uncovers a magnetic rearrangement near 35-40 T in both compounds, highlighting the high anisotropy and magnetic-electronic coupling in these materials.

Findings

Magnetic rearrangement occurs near 35-40 T in both compounds.

Rearrangement is temperature independent and suggests a canted or partially polarized state.

Charge carriers are affected by magnetic configuration, indicating magnetic/electronic coupling.

Abstract

The low-temperature antiferromagnetic state of the Sm-ions in both nonsuperconducting SmFeAsO and superconducting SmFeAsO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$ single crystals was studied by magnetic torque, magnetization, and magnetoresistance measurements in magnetic fields up to 60~T and temperatures down to 0.6~K. We uncover in both compounds a distinct rearrangement of the antiferromagnetically ordered Sm-moments near $35-40$~T. This is seen in both, static and pulsed magnetic fields, as a sharp change in the sign of the magnetic torque, which is sensitive to the magnetic anisotropy and hence to the magnetic moment in the $ab$-plane, ({\it i.e.} the FeAs-layers), and as a jump in the magnetization for magnetic fields perpendicular to the conducting planes. This rearrangement of magnetic ordering in $35-40$~T is essentially temperature independent and points towards a canted or a partially polarized magnetic state in high magnetic fields. However, the observed value for the saturation moment above this rearrangement, suggests that the complete suppression of the antiferromagnetism related to the Sm-moments would require fields in excess of 60~T. Such a large field value is particularly remarkable when compared to the relatively small N\'{e}el temperature $T_{\rm N}\simeq5$~K, suggesting very anisotropic magnetic exchange couplings. At the transition, magnetoresistivity measurements show a crossover from positive to negative field-dependence, indicating that the charge carriers in the FeAs planes are sensitive to the magnetic configuration of the rare-earth elements. This is indicates a finite magnetic/electronic coupling between the SmO and the FeAs layers which are likely to mediate the exchange interactions leading to the long range antiferromagnetic order of the Sm ions.