Linear magnetoelastic coupling and magnetic phase diagrams of the buckled-kagomé antiferromagnet [Formula: see text

Abstract

Single crystals of Cu_3Bi(SeO_3)_2O_2Cl were investigated using high-resolution capacitance dilatometry in magnetic fields up to 15 T. Pronounced magnetoelastic coupling is found upon evolution of long-range antiferromagnetic order at T_{mathrm {N}} = 26.4(3) K. Grüneisen analysis reveals moderate effects of uniaxial pressure on T_{mathrm {N}}, of 1.8(4) K/GPa, -0.62(15) K/GPa and 0.33(10) K/GPa for p parallel a, b, and c, respectively. Below 22 K Grüneisen scaling fails which implies the presence of competing interactions. The structural phase transition at T_{mathrm {S}} = 120.7(5) K is much more sensitive to uniaxial pressure than T_{mathrm {N}}, with strong effects of up to 27(3) K/GPa (p parallel c). Magnetostriction and magnetization measurements reveal a linear magnetoelastic coupling for Bparallel c below T_{mathrm {N}}, as well as a mixed phase behavior above the tricritical point around 0.4 T. An analysis of the critical behavior in zero-field points to three-dimensional (3D) Ising-like magnetic ordering. In addition, the magnetic phase diagrams for fields along the main crystalline axes are reported.