BaCa2M6Te3O18 (M = Co, Ni): New 1D zigzag spin-chain compounds with a stacked kagomé structure

Abstract

The arrangement of 1D spin chains on different 2D lattices forms a stacked structure, giving rise to a variety of interesting magnetic behaviors. Herein we report a successful synthesis of two new compounds BaCa2M6Te3O18 (M = Co, Ni) with a quite rarely stacked kagomé structure, where the M2+ ions form zigzag chains running along the c-axis and further arranged with a kagomé lattice on the ab-plane. Magnetic measurements confirm that BaCa2Co6Te3O18 possesses an antiferromagnetic order at 12 K and field-induced successive spin-flop transitions at 2 K, while BaCa2Ni6Te3O18 shows a short-range magnetic order at ~50 K and two long-range antiferromagnetic orders at ~26 K and ~23 K, and a field-induced spin-flop transition at 2 K. The results indicate their different magnetic behaviors due to their different magnetic ions of Co2+ and Ni2+ ions, although they have a similar structural feature and spin lattice.