Abstract
Identifying and characterizing systems with coupled and competing interactions is central to the development of physical models that can accurately describe and predict emergent behavior in condensed matter systems. This work demonstrates that the metallic compound CuFe2Ge2 has competing magnetic ground states, which are shown to be strongly coupled to the lattice and easily manipulated using temperature and applied magnetic fields. Temperature-dependent magnetization M measurements reveal a ferromagnetic-like onset at 228 (1) K and a broad maximum in M near 180 K. Powder neutron diffraction confirms antiferromagnetic ordering below TN ≈ 175 K, and an incommensurate spin density wave is observed below ≈125 K. Coupled with the small refined moments (0.5–1 μB/Fe), this provides a picture of itinerant magnetism in CuFe2Ge2. The neutron diffraction data also reveal a coexistence of two magnetic phases that further highlights the near-degeneracy of various magnetic states. These results demonstrate that the ground state in CuFe2Ge2 can be easily manipulated by external forces, making it of particular interest for doping, pressure, and further theoretical studies.
Highlights
Identifying and characterizing systems with coupled and competing interactions is central to the development of physical models that can accurately describe and predict emergent behavior in condensed matter systems
Fe(1) forms the centerline of the sawtooth chain running along the a-axis; it is coordinated by a distorted octahedra of Ge
This study reports the synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline CuFe2Ge2
Summary
Identifying and characterizing systems with coupled and competing interactions is central to the development of physical models that can accurately describe and predict emergent behavior in condensed matter systems. The neutron diffraction data reveal a coexistence of two magnetic phases that further highlights the near-degeneracy of various magnetic states These results demonstrate that the ground state in CuFe2Ge2 can be manipulated by external forces, making it of particular interest for doping, pressure, and further theoretical studies. Systems with a strong coupling between magnetism, the crystal lattice, and itinerant electrons often display interesting physics When such systems have several nearly-degenerate ground states, complex emergent behavior can be observed, such as unconventional superconductivity[1]. The associated sheet-like structures of the Fermi surface provide nesting instabilities and promote the AFM ground state[2] Based on these calculations, Cu is anticipated to be non-magnetic. These measurements demonstrate an evolution of the magnetization as a function of www.nature.com/scientificreports/
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