Magnetic phase diagram of ErB4 as explored by neutron scattering

Simon Flury; Wolfgang J. Simeth; Danielle R. Yahne; Manisha Islam; Igor Plokhikh; Daniel G. Mazzone; Eric D. Bauer; Priscila F.S. Rosa; Romain Sibille; Oksana Zaharko; Dariusz J. Gawryluk; Marc Janoschek

doi:10.1103/m3wx-4v6k

Magnetic phase diagram of ErB₄ as explored by neutron scattering

Simon Flury
, Wolfgang J. Simeth
, Danielle R. Yahne
, Manisha Islam
, Igor Plokhikh
, Daniel G. Mazzone
, Eric D. Bauer
, Priscila F.S. Rosa
, Romain Sibille
, Oksana Zaharko
, Dariusz J. Gawryluk
, Marc Janoschek

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The tetragonal 4 f-electron intermetallic ErB₄ is characterized by strong Ising anisotropy along the tetragonal c axis. The magnetic moments on the erbium sites can be mapped onto a Shastry-Sutherland lattice, resulting in geometrical frustration. At zero magnetic field ErB₄ exhibits collinear columnar antiferromagnetic (CAFM) order below T_N = 15.4 K. In the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the c axis, ErB₄ exhibits a plateau at 1/2 of the saturation magnetization M_S, which arises at a spin-flip transition at H₁ = 1.9 T. Fractional magnetization plateaus and other exotic spin phases are a well-established characteristic feature of frustrated spin systems. Monte Carlo simulations propose that ErB₄ is an ideal candidate to feature a spin supersolid phase in close vicinity of H₁ between the CAFM and M/M_S = 1/2 plateau (HP) phase. Here, we combine single-crystal neutron diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering to study the magnetic phase diagram and the crystal electric-field (CEF) ground state of ErB₄. Our measurements as a function of magnetic field find no signature of the spin supersolid phase but allow us to determine the magnetic structure of the HP phase to be of the up-up-up-down (uuud) type consistent with an Ising material. The magnetic moment μ_CEF = 8.96 µ_B expected from the CEF configuration determined by our inelastic neutron-scattering measurements is also consistent with the ordered moment observed in neutron diffraction, showing that the moments are fully ordered and close to the Er³⁺ free ion moment (9.6 µ_B).

Original language	English
Article number	224441
Pages (from-to)	1-11
Number of pages	11
Journal	Physical Review B
Volume	112
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/m3wx-4v6k
State	Published - Dec 24 2025
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors would like to thank N. Qureshi for giving support using the program MAG2POL. S.F. acknowledges financial support by the Universität Zürich through a UZH Candoc Grant. W.J.S. and D.R.Y. were supported through funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 884104 (PSI-FELLOW-III-3i). D.R.Y., M.I., and M.J. acknowledge funding by the Swiss National Science Foundation through the project “Berry-Phase Tuning in Heavy f-Electron Metals (No. 200650).” Work at Los Alamos National Laboratory was performed under the U.S. DOE, Office of Science, BES project “Quantum Fluctuations in Narrow Band Systems.” This work is based on experiments performed at the Swiss spallation neutron source SINQ, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland. The authors would like to acknowledge the Swiss National Science Foundations (SNSF R’ Equip, Grant No. 206021_163997) and matching funds from Paul Scherrer Institute for purchasing SCIDRE HKZ furnace. I.P. acknowledges support from Paul Scherrer Institute Research Grant No. 2021_0134.

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10.1103/m3wx-4v6k

Cite this

@article{fd81033f923a4397a20cd32187cb36d6,

title = "Magnetic phase diagram of ErB4 as explored by neutron scattering",

abstract = "The tetragonal 4 f-electron intermetallic ErB4 is characterized by strong Ising anisotropy along the tetragonal c axis. The magnetic moments on the erbium sites can be mapped onto a Shastry-Sutherland lattice, resulting in geometrical frustration. At zero magnetic field ErB4 exhibits collinear columnar antiferromagnetic (CAFM) order below TN = 15.4 K. In the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the c axis, ErB4 exhibits a plateau at 1/2 of the saturation magnetization MS, which arises at a spin-flip transition at H1 = 1.9 T. Fractional magnetization plateaus and other exotic spin phases are a well-established characteristic feature of frustrated spin systems. Monte Carlo simulations propose that ErB4 is an ideal candidate to feature a spin supersolid phase in close vicinity of H1 between the CAFM and M/MS = 1/2 plateau (HP) phase. Here, we combine single-crystal neutron diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering to study the magnetic phase diagram and the crystal electric-field (CEF) ground state of ErB4. Our measurements as a function of magnetic field find no signature of the spin supersolid phase but allow us to determine the magnetic structure of the HP phase to be of the up-up-up-down (uuud) type consistent with an Ising material. The magnetic moment μCEF = 8.96 µB expected from the CEF configuration determined by our inelastic neutron-scattering measurements is also consistent with the ordered moment observed in neutron diffraction, showing that the moments are fully ordered and close to the Er3+ free ion moment (9.6 µB).",

author = "Simon Flury and Simeth, \{Wolfgang J.\} and Yahne, \{Danielle R.\} and Manisha Islam and Igor Plokhikh and Mazzone, \{Daniel G.\} and Bauer, \{Eric D.\} and Rosa, \{Priscila F.S.\} and Romain Sibille and Oksana Zaharko and Gawryluk, \{Dariusz J.\} and Marc Janoschek",

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doi = "10.1103/m3wx-4v6k",

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T1 - Magnetic phase diagram of ErB4 as explored by neutron scattering

AU - Flury, Simon

AU - Simeth, Wolfgang J.

AU - Yahne, Danielle R.

AU - Islam, Manisha

AU - Plokhikh, Igor

AU - Mazzone, Daniel G.

AU - Bauer, Eric D.

AU - Rosa, Priscila F.S.

AU - Sibille, Romain

AU - Zaharko, Oksana

AU - Gawryluk, Dariusz J.

AU - Janoschek, Marc

PY - 2025/12/24

Y1 - 2025/12/24

N2 - The tetragonal 4 f-electron intermetallic ErB4 is characterized by strong Ising anisotropy along the tetragonal c axis. The magnetic moments on the erbium sites can be mapped onto a Shastry-Sutherland lattice, resulting in geometrical frustration. At zero magnetic field ErB4 exhibits collinear columnar antiferromagnetic (CAFM) order below TN = 15.4 K. In the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the c axis, ErB4 exhibits a plateau at 1/2 of the saturation magnetization MS, which arises at a spin-flip transition at H1 = 1.9 T. Fractional magnetization plateaus and other exotic spin phases are a well-established characteristic feature of frustrated spin systems. Monte Carlo simulations propose that ErB4 is an ideal candidate to feature a spin supersolid phase in close vicinity of H1 between the CAFM and M/MS = 1/2 plateau (HP) phase. Here, we combine single-crystal neutron diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering to study the magnetic phase diagram and the crystal electric-field (CEF) ground state of ErB4. Our measurements as a function of magnetic field find no signature of the spin supersolid phase but allow us to determine the magnetic structure of the HP phase to be of the up-up-up-down (uuud) type consistent with an Ising material. The magnetic moment μCEF = 8.96 µB expected from the CEF configuration determined by our inelastic neutron-scattering measurements is also consistent with the ordered moment observed in neutron diffraction, showing that the moments are fully ordered and close to the Er3+ free ion moment (9.6 µB).

AB - The tetragonal 4 f-electron intermetallic ErB4 is characterized by strong Ising anisotropy along the tetragonal c axis. The magnetic moments on the erbium sites can be mapped onto a Shastry-Sutherland lattice, resulting in geometrical frustration. At zero magnetic field ErB4 exhibits collinear columnar antiferromagnetic (CAFM) order below TN = 15.4 K. In the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the c axis, ErB4 exhibits a plateau at 1/2 of the saturation magnetization MS, which arises at a spin-flip transition at H1 = 1.9 T. Fractional magnetization plateaus and other exotic spin phases are a well-established characteristic feature of frustrated spin systems. Monte Carlo simulations propose that ErB4 is an ideal candidate to feature a spin supersolid phase in close vicinity of H1 between the CAFM and M/MS = 1/2 plateau (HP) phase. Here, we combine single-crystal neutron diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering to study the magnetic phase diagram and the crystal electric-field (CEF) ground state of ErB4. Our measurements as a function of magnetic field find no signature of the spin supersolid phase but allow us to determine the magnetic structure of the HP phase to be of the up-up-up-down (uuud) type consistent with an Ising material. The magnetic moment μCEF = 8.96 µB expected from the CEF configuration determined by our inelastic neutron-scattering measurements is also consistent with the ordered moment observed in neutron diffraction, showing that the moments are fully ordered and close to the Er3+ free ion moment (9.6 µB).

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U2 - 10.1103/m3wx-4v6k

DO - 10.1103/m3wx-4v6k

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105030325409

SN - 2469-9950

VL - 112

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Physical Review B

JF - Physical Review B

IS - 22

M1 - 224441

ER -

Magnetic phase diagram of ErB₄ as explored by neutron scattering

Abstract

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