Single-crystal studies of the charge density wave and magnetism in TmNiC2

Abstract

Non-centrosymmetric, orthorhombic rare-earth nickel dicarbides RNiC2 (R= rare earth) are a unique system offering an opportunity to tune their ground state with varying the R metal. LaNiC2 is an unconventional superconductor [1], SmNiC2 undergoes a ferromagnetic transition [2] and all other compounds, apart from nonmagnetic YNiC2, LuNiC2 and PrNiC2, order antiferromagnetically below 25 K [3]. Charge density wave (CDW) formation has been reported for RNiC2 with R = Pr – Lu and Y [4-6]. Recent investigations revealed an interplay of CDW and magnetic order parameters in several RNiC2 compounds [2, 5, 7] as well as specific topological features of their electronic band structure [8]. TmNiC2, which is subject of this presentation, was reported to exhibit both, antiferromagnetic ordering [9,10] and CDW formation [4]. Recent studies of transport properties suggested the coexistence of CDW order with a field induced, saturated magnetic state [11] which stands in contrast to the rest of the RNiC2 materials where magnetic order resulted in either a partial suppression of CDW modulations in NdNiC2 and GdNiC2 [5, 7] or in a complete suppression of superstructure reflections in SmNiC2 [2]. Here, we present investigations of CDW and magnetism in single-crystalline TmNiC2, which includes a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of CDW superstructure, isostructural to the commensurate CDW state of LuNiC2 [12], as well as investigations of thermodynamic, transport and magnetic properties. *Financial support for M.R. by grant DEC-08/2021/IDUB/II.1/AMERICIUM of the AMERICIUM - ‘Excellence Initiative-Research University’ Program from the Gdańsk University of Technology is gratefully acknowledged. [1] A. D. Hillier, J. Quintanilla, and R. Cywinski, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 117007 (2009). [2] S. Shimomura et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 076404 (2009). [3] W. Schäfer et al., Journal of Alloys and Compounds 180, 251 (1992). [4] M. Roman et al., Phys. Rev. B 99, 035136 (2018). [5] S. Shimomura et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 165108 (2016). [6] H. Maeda, R. Kondo, and Y. Nogami, Phys. Rev. B 100, 104107 (2019). [7] K. K. Kolincio et al., Phys. Rev. B 94, 195149 (2016). [8] R. Ray et al., npj Quantum Materials 7, 1 (2022). [9] J. Yakinthos et al., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 89, 299 (1990). [10] Y. Koshikawa et al., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 179, 72 (1997). [11] K. K. Kolincio et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 176601 (2020). [12] S. Steiner et al., Phys. Rev. B 97, 205115 (2018).