Cascade of phase transitions and large magnetic anisotropy in a triangle-kagome-triangle trilayer antiferromagnet

TL;DR

This study uncovers multiple phase transitions and significant magnetic anisotropy in the frustrated trilayer antiferromagnet CsClCu5P2O10, revealing complex magnetic behavior and structural changes at various temperatures.

Contribution

It reports the first observation of a cascade of structural and magnetic phase transitions in CsClCu5P2O10, highlighting its potential for exploring novel quantum states.

Findings

Multiple structural transitions at 225 K, 3 K, and 2.18 K.

Two antiferromagnetic transitions at 13.6 K and 2.18 K.

Presence of four field-induced states including two magnetization plateaus.

Abstract

Spins in strongly frustrated systems are of intense interest due to the emergence of intriguing quantum states including superconductivity and quantum spin liquid. Herein we report the discovery of cascade of phase transitions and large magnetic anisotropy in the averievite CsClCu5P2O10 single crystals. Under zero field, CsClCu5P2O10 undergoes a first-order structural transition at around 225 K from high temperature centrosymmetric P-3m1 to low temperature noncentrosymmetric P321, followed by an AFM transition at 13.6 K, another structural transition centering at ~3 K, and another AFM transition at ~2.18 K. Based upon magnetic susceptibility and magnetization data with magnetic fields perpendicular to the ab plane, a phase diagram, consisting of a paramagnetic state, two AFM states and four field-induced states including two magnetization plateaus, has been constructed. Our findings demonstrate that the quasi-2D CsClCu5P2O10 exhibits rich structural and metamagnetic transitions and the averievite family is a fertile platform for exploring novel quantum states.