Quasi-one-dimensional magnons in an intermetallic marcasite

We present inelastic neutron scattering measurements and first principles calculations examining the intermetallic marcasite CrSb ₂. The observed spin-wave dispersion implies that the magnetic interactions are strongly one-dimensional with antiferromagnetic chains parallel to the crystalline c axis. Such low-dimensional excitations are unexpected in a semiconducting intermetallic system. Moreover, we observe a clear anisotropic thermal conductivity indicating that the magnetic anisotropy enhances thermoelectric properties along particular crystallographic directions.