Magnetic Anisotropy and Metamagnetic Transitions in Er ₃ Pt ₂ Sb _4.55 with a Distorted Square Net Lattice

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Magnetic materials with square-net sublattices are of great interest due to their potential to realize magnetic frustration. Here, we report the crystal growth and structural, magnetic, thermodynamic, and electronic transport properties of a new rare-earth-based intermetallic compound, Er 3 Pt 2 Sb 4.55(5) . The new material possesses a distorted square-net framework of Er. Magnetic property measurements suggest anisotropic behavior, long-range antiferromagnetic ordering, and metamagnetic transitions based on a J eff = 1/2 Er 3+ motif. A magnetic structure is proposed based on the observed magnetic and thermodynamic properties. This new material expands the R 3 Pt 2 Sb 4+ x family with a distorted square-net lattice of rare-earth elements and offers a new opportunity to study the relationship between magnetic ordering, crystal-electric field effect, and crystal structure in rare-earth-based compounds.