Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex
Published on: July 27, 2022
K3RETe2O9 (RE = Pr, Nd, and Gd-Yb): A Family of Rare-Earth Triangular-Lattice Antiferromagnets with Large Lattice
Malik Ashtar1, Xinyang Liu1, Zhaotong Zhuang1
1Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Abstract:
The search for rare-earth triangular-lattice antiferromagnets continues to attract considerable attention owing to their potential for hosting exotic magnetic ground states. Here, we report the synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of the tellurate series, K3RETe2O9 (RE = Pr, Nd, and Gd-Yb), which crystallizes in a hexagonal (P63/mmc) structure. In the structure, the RE3+ ions form a large triangular lattice in the ab plane, with nearest-neighbor RE-RE distances ranging from 6.0429 to 5.9082 Å. Magnetization measurements reveal dominant antiferromagnetic interactions for all members, with no evidence of long-range magnetic order or spin freezing down to 1.8 K. Ultralow-temperature heat capacity measurements revealed that the Gd compound (S = 7/2) undergoes long-range magnetic order at TN ≈ 0.20 K, consistent with its estimated dipolar interaction scale. Conversely, the Nd and Yb counterparts, characterized by effective Jeff = 1/2 moments, remain paramagnetic down to 0.1 K and retain significant magnetic entropy. This persistent entropy, together with strong low-temperature spin fluctuations, suggests either ordering at lower temperatures or the realization of a quantum-disordered ground state. Our results establish K3RETe2O9 as a versatile platform for exploring exotic magnetic states in spatially extended triangular lattices.
Related Concept Videos
02:42Valence Bond Theory
02:52VSEPR Theory and the Basic Shapes
02:46Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
01:34Woodward–Hoffmann Selection Rules and Microscopic Reversibility
03:02Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
02:55Exceptions to the Octet Rule