Magnetism of single crystalline breathing pyrochlore spinel AgInCr4S8

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic properties and structure of single crystalline AgInCr4S8, revealing a helical magnetic order below 9.6 K and demonstrating the material's complex short-range and long-range magnetic behaviors.

Contribution

First detailed investigation of single crystal breathing pyrochlore AgInCr4S8, revealing its incommensurate helical magnetic order and short-range magnetic correlations.

Findings

Long-range antiferromagnetic order below 9.6 K.

Incommensurate spin structure with propagation vector (0,0,0.343).

Magnetic entropy suggests significant short-range order above T_N.

Abstract

Single crystals of \ce{AgInCr4S8} were grown by chemical vapor transport and crystallographic ordering of Ag/In that results in a breathing pyrochlore motif of Cr$^{3+}$ was verified by x-ray and neutron diffraction. Long-range antiferromagnetic order is observed below a N\'eel temperature of $T_{\mathrm N}$ $\approx$ 9.6 K. The magnetic properties are characterized using ac and dc magnetization, specific heat capacity, and single crystal neutron diffraction measurements. The specific heat data are characterized by a small lambda anomaly near 9.5 K and the estimated magnetic entropy reaches $\approx$ $\frac{1}{3}$ of the expected value by 3$T_{\mathrm N}$, suggesting significant short-range order in the paramagnetic phase. Single crystal neutron diffraction evidences an incommensurate spin structure with propagation vector $\textbf{\textit{k}}$ = (0,0,$\delta$) and $\delta$ = 0.343 at 5 K. The minimal model that accounts for the data consists of ferromagnetic layers of Cr atoms, with magnetic moments lying in the plane of the layers and modulating in the perpendicular direction to form a helical structure propagating along $\textbf{\textit{k}}$. This study represents a rare investigation of single crystals within the family of breathing pyrochlore materials.