Microscopic mechanism for the unusual antiferromagnetic order and the pressure-induced transition to ferromagnetism in USb$_2$

TL;DR

This paper presents a minimal microscopic model explaining the unusual antiferromagnetic order and pressure-induced ferromagnetic transition in USb$_2$, providing insights into U-based magnetic compounds.

Contribution

The authors develop a low-energy model that captures USb$_2$'s magnetic phases and transitions, advancing understanding of its complex magnetic behavior.

Findings

Model reproduces antiferromagnetic order along [001]

Explains pressure-induced transition to ferromagnetism

Provides insights into magnetism of related U compounds

Abstract

Uranium dipnictide USb$_2$ reflects enigmatic properties posing a substantial challenge for a microscopic modeling. Among others, it develops a nonstandard antiferromagnetic order of a $\uparrow\downarrow\downarrow\uparrow$-type along [001] crystallographic direction, and under pressure it undergoes transition to the ferromagnetic phase. Here we propose a minimal low-energy model of USb$_2$ which, as we demonstrate at the mean-field level, accommodates physical mechanism for mentioned observations. Relying on the obtained results we also comment on the features of magnetism observed in other U-based compounds: UAs$_2$, UBi$_2$, UAsSe, URh$_x$Ir$_{1-x}$Ge and UGe$_2$.