Spin-glass-like state in GdCu: role of phase separation and magnetic frustration

TL;DR

This study reveals a spin-glass-like magnetic state in GdCu caused by phase separation and magnetic frustration between coexisting structural phases with different magnetic orders.

Contribution

It uncovers the origin of glassy magnetism in GdCu as arising from interfacial frustration between coexisting phases with distinct magnetic properties.

Findings

Identification of a glassy magnetic phase below 45 K.

Evidence of thermomagnetic irreversibility, aging, and memory effects.

Correlation of magnetic frustration with phase coexistence.

Abstract

We report investigations on the ground state magnetic properties of intermetallic compound GdCu through dc magnetization measurements. GdCu undergoes first order martensitic type structural transition over a wide temperature window of coexisting phases. The high temperature cubic and the low temperature orthorhombic phases have different magnetic character and they show antiferromagnetic and helimagnetic orderings below 145 K and 45 K respectively. We observe clear signature of a glassy magnetic phase below the helimagnetic ordering temperature, which is marked by thermomagnetic irreversibility, aging and memory effects. The glassy magnetic phase in GdCu is found to be rather intriguing with its origin lies in the interfacial frustration due to distinct magnetic character of the coexisting phases.