Abstract
Magnetic chalcogenide compounds have a great potential in the field of spintronics and biomedical applications. Unlike magnetic transition metal oxides, the study on magnetic chalcogenides is sparse. Here we investigate the magnetic, thermodynamic and electronic properties of a ternary chalcogenide, Mn2SnS4. Contrary to most of the 214-chalcogenide compounds which crystallize in well-known olivine structure with space group Pnma, the title compound, Mn2SnS4, crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group, Cmmm. Magnetic measurements reveal two distinct magnetic transitions: (i) an antiferromagnetic ordering below 152 K, (ii) a weak ferromagnetic ordering, possibly due to spin canting and frustration below 53 K. Neutron diffraction study at 100 K suggest that the magnetic moments (spins) within {1 1 1} planes are ordered ferromagnetically and the adjacent {1 1 1} planes are coupled antiferromagnetically, however, the magnetic spins are not collinear rather canted. LMTO-ASA calculation on an antiferromagnetic model indicates that the compound is poorly metallic in nature and the manganese spins are completely spin polarized.
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