Single-crystal growth, structural characterization, and physical properties of a decorated square-kagome antiferromagnet KCu$_7$TeO$_4$(SO$_4$)$_5$Cl

TL;DR

This study reports the synthesis, structural analysis, and magnetic and electric properties of a new decorated square-kagome antiferromagnet, revealing complex magnetic transitions and ferroelectric behavior linked to lattice distortions.

Contribution

The paper presents the first single-crystal growth and detailed characterization of KCu$_7$TeO$_4$(SO$_4$)$_5$Cl, a compound with a decorated square-kagome lattice exhibiting magnetic and ferroelectric transitions.

Findings

Weak anomalies near 4 K indicate magnetic transition.

Long-range antiferromagnetic order established below 4.5 K.

Two ferroelectric transitions at 30 K and 27 K driven by inversion-symmetry breaking.

Abstract

The square-kagome lattice, composed of two-dimensional corner-sharing triangles, provides a novel platform for studying frustrated magnetism. However, material realizations of the square-kagome lattice remain scarce. Here, we report the single-crystal growth, structural characterization, magnetic and electric properties of KCu$_7$TeO$_4$(SO$_4$)$_5$Cl, a nabokoite compound featuring a distorted and decorated square-kagome lattice. Weak anomalies near 4 K are observed in both magnetization and specific heat, indicating the onset of a magnetic transition.The formation of a long-range antiferromagnetic state below 4.5 K is further confirmed by $^{35}$Cl nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. Magnetic susceptibility data reveal nearly isotropic Curie-Weiss temperatures ($\sim-145$ K) and $g$-factors ($\sim2.4$) for both in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields. Moreover, we observe two successive ferroelectric transitions at $T_\mathrm{FE1}\sim30$ K and $T_\mathrm{FE2}\sim27$ K, driven by inversion-symmetry breaking, most likely associated with distortions in the Cu2O$_4$Cl$_1$ pyramids and the adjacent SO$_4$ tetrahedra. These results suggest that a three-dimensional model incorporating interlayer couplings via decorating Cu2 sites is essential for capturing the magnetic and electric behaviors in KCu$_7$TeO$_4$(SO$_4$)$_5$Cl.