Evolution of the nuclear and magnetic structures of TlFe 1.6Se 2 with temperature

Huibo Cao, Claudia Cantoni, Andrew F. May, Michael A. McGuire, Bryan C. Chakoumakos, Stephen J. Pennycook, Radu Custelcean, Athena S. Sefat, Brian C. Sales

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Abstract

The evolution of the nuclear and magnetic structures of TlFe 1.6Se 2 was determined in the temperature range 5-450 K using single-crystal neutron diffraction. The Fe layers in these materials develop a corrugation in the magnetically ordered state. A canting away from the block checkerboard magnetic structure is observed in the narrow temperature range between approximately 100 and 150 K. In this same temperature range, an increase in the corrugation of the Fe layers is observed. At lower temperatures, the block checkerboard magnetic structure is recovered with a suppressed magnetic moment and abrupt changes in the lattice parameters. Microstructure analysis at 300 K using atomic-resolution Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals regions with ordered and disordered Fe vacancies, and the iron content is found to be uniform across the crystal. These findings highlight the differences between the alkali-metal and thallium materials, and indicate competition between magnetic ground states and a strong coupling of magnetism to the lattice in TlFe 1.6Se 2.

Original languageEnglish
Article number054515
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume85
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 27 2012

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