Hard ferrimagnetism in the layered magnet <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">L</mml:mi> <mml:msub> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">i</mml:mi> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mi mathvaria
We report on the characterization of $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{4}\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{2}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{11}$, a previously unstudied layered oxide that exhibits ferrimagnetic ordering below 30 K and an exceptionally large coercive field exceeding 9 T at 2 K. The crystal structure consists of alternating ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{3+}$ triangular layers and zigzag chains, creating two inequivalent magnetic sublattices. Magnetic measurements reveal net in-plane magnetization and pronounced anisotropy, with strong hysteresis and domain pinning behaviors. The magnetization direction is controlled by the field-cooling history and remains locked under applied fields up to 9 T. Out-of-plane measurements show negligible net magnetization but exhibit a distinct high-field kink, likely attributed to spin reorientation. Heat capacity data show a broad magnetic anomaly that shifts and weakens under field, consistent with antiferromagnetic-dominated interactions. These results establish $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{4}\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{2}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{11}$ as a rare ultrahard ferrimagnet with strong anisotropy, offering a promising platform for low-dimensional spintronic and domain engineering applications.
Authors
- R. J. Cava (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3294-6867)
- Xianghan Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6854-300X)
Institutions
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Princeton University (US)
- University of Minnesota System (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Materials
- Published
- 2025-11-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/5j8j-t6qy
- Primary Topic
- Multiferroics and related materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00