Glassy magnetic behavior in the sawtooth intermetallic CuFe2Ge2
by
Sala de Conferências
Departamento de Física FCTUC
While neutron powder diffraction on CuFe2Ge2 suggests the onset of incommensurate antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering at low temperatures, the complete magnetic landscape remains a subject of debate. Theoretical DFT-based calculations favored a G-type AFM order, DC magnetic susceptibility points to ferromagnetic ordering around 228 K, yet Mössbauer spectroscopy remains largely insensitive to the higher-temperature ordering. In this talk, we challenge the conventional interpretation by investigating the system’s dynamic response via AC susceptibility, thermoremanent magnetization, and magnetic memory protocols. Our results reveal a complex ground state characterized by ferrimagnetic clusters stabilized by partial spin freezing in a spin-glass-like state. This "glassy" behavior provides a new perspective through which to view the interplay between the incommensurate magnetic structure and the frustrated geometry in CuFe2Ge2.
Paulo Silva, Marcos Gouveia