LnCu3(OH)6Cl3 (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy): Heavy lanthanides on spin-1/2 kagome magnets* *Project supported by the Program for Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Entrepreneurial Teams (Grant No. 2017ZT07C062), Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Quantum Functional Materials and Devices (Grant No. ZDSYS20190902092905285), and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (Grant No. 2020B1515120100). L. Wang acknowledges the support of China Postdoctoral Science

Abstract

The spin-1/2 kagome antiferromagnets are key prototype materials for studying frustrated magnetism. Three isostructural kagome antiferromagnets LnCu3(OH)6Cl3 (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy) have been successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method. LnCu3(OH)6Cl3 adopts space group and features the layered Cu-kagome lattice with lanthanide Ln3+ cations sitting at the center of the hexagons. Although heavy lanthanides (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy) in LnCu3(OH)6Cl3 provide a large effective magnetic moment and ferromagnetic-like spin correlations compared to light-lanthanides (Nd, Sm, Eu) analogues, Cu-kagome holds an antiferromagnetically ordered state at around 17 K like YCu3(OH)6Cl3.