Syntheses, structure and magnetization plateau of staircase kagome-lattice antiferromagnet Cu3Bi(TeO3)2O2Cl

Abstract

We have synthesized the single crystals of a spin-1/2 staircase kagome lattice compound Cu3Bi(TeO3)2O2Cl via a solid-state reaction. This compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system with space group Pnma. The magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and ESR measurements show that the compound undergoes an antiferromagnetic ordering at T1 = 41.6 K and a short-range ordering at T2 = 5.6 K. The Curie-Weiss temperature is about θCW = − 20.8 K and frustration factor f = 0.5. The magnetization curve at 2 K presents a field-induced magnetic transition at Hc1 = 3.1 T, followed by a magnetization plateau with its magnetization close to 1/3 of the saturation value. Thus, Cu3Bi(TeO3)2O2Cl is an weakly frustrated staircase kagome-lattice antiferromagnet exhibiting a 1/3-like magnetization plateau.