Glassy magnetic behavior in the sawtooth intermetallic CuFe2Ge2

by Phinifolo Cambalame (CFisUC & Universidade Eduardo Mondlane - Departamento de Física (Moçambique))

Wednesday 4 Mar 2026, 14:00 → 15:00 Portugal

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.