Insights into nature of a magnetization plateau of 3$d$-4$f$ coordination polymer [Dy$_2$Cu$_2$]$_n$ from a spin-1/2 Ising-Heisenberg orthogonal-dimer chain

TL;DR

This paper analyzes an exactly solvable quantum spin chain model to understand magnetization plateaus, revealing multiple ground states and phases that explain experimental observations in a specific 3d-4f coordination polymer.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical investigation of magnetization plateaus in an Ising-Heisenberg chain with different gyromagnetic factors, linking these phases to experimental data in a Dy-Cu polymer.

Findings

Up to seven ground states depending on magnetic parameters.

Identification of zero, 1/11, 5/11, 9/11, and 10/11 magnetization plateaus.

Correlation of theoretical phases with experimental magnetization plateaus.

Abstract

The ground state and magnetization process of an exactly solved spin-$1/2$ Ising-Heisenberg orthogonal-dimer chain with two different gyromagnetic factors of the Ising and Heisenberg spins are investigated in detail. It is shown that the investigated quantum spin chain exhibits up to seven possible ground states depending on a mutual interplay of the magnetic field, intra- and inter-dimer coupling constants. More specifically, the frustrated and modulated quantum antiferromagnetic phases are responsible in zero-temperature magnetization curves for a zero magnetization plateau. The intermediate 1/11- and 5/11-plateaus emerge due to the frustrated and modulated quantum ferrimagnetic phases, while the intermediate 9/11- and 10/11-plateaus can be attributed to the quantum and classical ferrimagnetic phases. It is conjectured that the magnetization plateau experimentally observed in a high-field magnetization curve of 3$d$-4$f$ heterobimetallic coordination polymer [\{Dy(hfac)$_2$(CH$_3$OH)\}$_2$\{Cu(dmg)(Hdmg)\}$_2$]$_n$ (H$_2$dmg $=$ dimethylglyoxime; Hhfac $=$ 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dione) could be attributed to the classical and quantum ferrimagnetic phases.