Structural Domain Switching by Magnetic Fields in RAl$_3$C$_3$ (R=Rare Earth)

TL;DR

This study investigates how magnetic fields influence structural domain switching in RAl$_3$C$_3$ compounds, revealing magnetic control over orthorhombic domains and proposing mechanisms for field-induced phenomena.

Contribution

It demonstrates magnetic field control of orthorhombic domains in RAl$_3$C$_3$, highlighting the role of magnetic anisotropies and domain switching in these materials.

Findings

Magnetic fields can align orthorhombic domains in RAl$_3$C$_3$ with magnetic R ions.

Single-domain states can be switched by magnetic fields even in paramagnetic states.

Domain switching is not observed in LuAl$_3$C$_3$ up to 70 kOe.

Abstract

Hexagonal-to-orthorhombic structural transitions in RAl$_3$C$_3$ have been studied by X-ray diffraction for R=Yb, Tm, Er, Dy, and Lu. We report how orthorhombic domains are controlled by adjusting external magnetic fields. It is shown that orthorhombic domains in RAl$_3$C$_3$ can be aligned by the field when the R ion is magnetic. It is also shown that a single-domain state can be switched to another single-domain state by the field even in paramagnetic states with small induced moments. For R=Lu, however, it was not possible to change the multidomain state by a field of up to 70 kOe. We discuss that domain selection and switching are caused by magnetic anisotropies in the orthorhombic phase of RAl$_3$C$_3$. We also propose an idea to explain the field-induced antiferromagnetism revealed by Khalyavin et al. [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{87}, 220406 (2013)].