Synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of novel 2D kagome materials RE3Sb3Mg2O14 (RE = La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ho): Comparison to RE3Sb3Zn2O14 family

• Published in: physica status solidi (b) Vol. 253; no. 10; pp. 2056 - 2065
• Main Authors: Sanders, M. B., Baroudi, K. M., Krizan, J. W., Mukadam, O. A., Cava, R. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2016
• Subjects: crystal structure; magnetic materials; magnetic properties; powder diffraction
• ISSN: 0370-1972; 1521-3951
• DOI: 10.1002/pssb.201600256

The crystal structures and magnetic properties of RE3Sb3Mg2O14 (RE = La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ho) with a perfect kagome lattice are presented and compared to RE3Sb3Zn2O14. Rietveld structure refinements were performed using X‐ray diffraction data, indicating that the layered compounds are fully structurally ordered. The compounds crystallize in a rhombohedral supercell of the cubic pyrochlore structure, in the space group R‐3m. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show no signs of magnetic ordering above 2 K. The RE3Sb3Mg2O14 family is similar to that of RE3Sb3Zn2O14; however, the series reported here features a fully ordered distribution of cations in both the nonmagnetic antimony and magnetic rare earth kagome lattices. Unlike the offsite disorder that Zn2+ experiences in RE3Sb3Zn2O14, the magnesium sites in RE3Sb3Mg2O14 are completely ordered. Here we compare the magnetic properties in both series of kagome compounds to determine how significant Zn2+'s positional ordering is within this structure type. The compounds reported here appear to be relatively defect‐free and are therefore model systems for investigating magnetic frustration on an ideal 2D rare earth kagome lattice.