Crystal structure and magnetic properties of the layered van der Waals compound VBr3

Abstract

Single crystals of the layered, van der Waals compound $\mathrm{VB}{\mathrm{r}}_{3}$ were synthesized by a vapor transport technique, and characterized by single-crystal x-ray diffraction, temperature- and field-dependent magnetization, and temperature-dependent specific-heat measurements. $\mathrm{VB}{\mathrm{r}}_{3}$ has a honeycomb-based $\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{I}}_{3}$-type structure with space group $R\text{\ensuremath{-}}3$ (no. 148) at 100 K, analogous to the structure of other honeycomb trihalides. Structural stacking faults were observed as evidenced by the streaking of reflections along $c*$ in the diffraction data. $\mathrm{VB}{\mathrm{r}}_{3}$ goes through a structural phase transition at 90.4 K and a subsequent antiferromagnetic phase transition at 26.5 K, below which the magnetic moments are primarily aligned along the $c$ axis.