Magnetic structure of the S=1/2 quasi-two-dimensional square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet Sr2CuTeO6

Abstract

The magnetic structure of the double perovskite compound Sr2CuTeO6 was determined from neutron powder diffraction data. This material is magnetically described as an S=1/2 quasi-two-dimensional square-lattice Heisenberg model with antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor interactions. Sr2CuTeO6 undergoes a magnetic phase transition at TN≃29 K. The spin structure below TN is Néel antiferromagnetic on the square lattice, which means that the nearest-neighbor interaction (J1) is stronger than the next-nearest-neighbor interaction (J2), in contrast to other isostructural compounds such as Ba2CuWO6 and Sr2CuWO6, for which |J1|<|J2| is realized. ©2016 American Physical Society