Magnetic and Electronic Transport Properties of YMB4 Compounds — 14a — Mohammad Anas, Parashu Kharel

Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics, South Dakota State University, USA

We have studied the magnetic, structural, and electrical transport properties of the YMB₄ series (M= Cr, Fe, and Co) of compounds. These materials are highly stable, hard, and have refractory and thermoelectric properties. Recent investigations indicate that these materials host quantum magnetism and support the formation of dimers among the magnetic ions [1]. All three compounds in our study have an orthorhombic crystal structure. Rietveld refinement of the x-ray diffraction patterns has been carried out to determine unit cell parameters, using the space group Pbam. The lattice parameters decrease when moving from M= Cr to Co. The electrical transport properties have been measured between 2K and room temperature. The temperature variation of resistivity shows a metallic behaviour below room temperature in all three compounds, and weak magnetoresistance at 2.5 K. Carrier concentration and Hall coefficients have been determined through the conventional Hall effect measurements. The magnetic studies indicate that YCrB₄ is non-magnetic, however, a weak paramagnetic signal from small amount of impurities is observed. The reports on the magnetic and transport properties of these compounds are scarce, which makes the present study important for providing insight into the physical properties of this family of compounds.

Acknowledgement: This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) grant no. DE-SC0024284.

References:[1] Z. Zhang, A.P. Porter, Y. Sun, K.D. Belashchenko, G. Viswanathan, A. Sarkar, E.H. Gamage, K. Kovnir, K.M. Ho, V. Antropov, Unveiling a Family of Dimerized Quantum Magnets, Conventional Antiferromagnets, and Nonmagnets in Ternary Metal Borides, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c05478.

South Dakota State University
Dr. Parashu Kharel