Abstract
Magnetization steps from pairs in several single crystals of and in one powder were observed. They were used to determine the four largest exchange constants (largest ’s), and the single-ion axial anisotropy parameter D. The largest two exchange constants, and were obtained from large peaks in the differential susceptibility, measured in pulsed magnetic fields H up to These two largest ’s are associated with the two inequivalent classes of nearest neighbors (NN’s) in the wurtzite structure. The 29% difference between and is substantially larger than 13% in and 15% in The pulsed-field data also indicate that, despite the direct contact between the samples and a superfluid-helium bath, substantial departures from thermal equilibrium occurred during the 7.4-ms pulse. The third- and fourth-largest ’s were determined from the magnetization M at 20 mK, measured in dc magnetic fields H up to 90 kOe. Both field orientations and were studied. (The direction is perpendicular to the c axis, By definition, neighbors which are not NN’s are distant neighbors (DN’s). The largest DN exchange constant (third-largest overall) has the value and is associated with the DN at Because this is not the closest DN, this result implies that the ’s do not decrease monotonically with the distance r. The second-largest DN exchange constant (fourth-largest overall) has the value It is associated with one of the two classes of neighbors that have a coordination number but the evidence is insufficient for a definite unique choice. The dependence of M on the direction of gives in fair agreement with from earlier electron paramagnetic resonance work.
- Received 8 October 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.69.125209
©2004 American Physical Society