La$_4$Co$_4$X (X = Pb, Bi, Sb): a demonstration of antagonistic pairs as a route to quasi-low dimensional ternary compounds

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Main Authors: Slade, Tyler J., Furukawa, Nao, Dygert, Matthew, Mohamed, Siham, Das, Atreyee, Xia, Weiyi, Wang, Cai-Zhuang, Budko, Sergey L., Canfield, Paul C.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Slade, Tyler J.
Furukawa, Nao
Dygert, Matthew
Mohamed, Siham
Das, Atreyee
Xia, Weiyi
Wang, Cai-Zhuang
Budko, Sergey L.
Canfield, Paul C.
author_facet Slade, Tyler J.
Furukawa, Nao
Dygert, Matthew
Mohamed, Siham
Das, Atreyee
Xia, Weiyi
Wang, Cai-Zhuang
Budko, Sergey L.
Canfield, Paul C.
contents We outline how pairs of strongly immiscible elements, referred to here as antagonistic pairs, can be used to synthesize ternary compounds with quasi-reduced dimensional motifs. By identifying third elements that are compatible with a given antagonistic pair, ternary compounds can be formed in which the third element segregates the immiscible atoms into spatially separated substructures. Quasi-low dimensional structural units are a natural consequence of the immiscible atoms seeking to avoid contact in the solid-state. As proof of principle, we present the discovery and physical properties of La$_4$Co$_4$X (X = Pb, Bi, Sb), a new family of intermetallics based on the antagonistic pairs Co-Pb and Co-Bi. La$_4$Co$_4$X adopts a new orthorhombic crystal structure (space group Pbam) containing quasi-2D Co slabs and La-X layers that stack along the a-axis. Consistent with our proposal, the La atoms separate the Co and X substructures, ensuring there are no direct contacts between immiscible atoms. Within the Co slabs, the atoms occupy the vertices of corner sharing tetrahedra and triangles, and this motif produces flat electronic bands near the Fermi level that favor magnetism. The Co is moment bearing in La$_4$Co$_4$X, and we show that whereas La$_4$Co$_4$Pb behaves as a three dimensional antiferromagnet with T$_N$ = 220 K, La$_4$Co$_4$Bi and La$_4$Co$_4$Sb have behavior consistent with low dimensional magnetic coupling and ordering, with T$_N$ = 153 K and 143 K respectively. In addition to the Pb, Bi, and Sb based La$_4$Co$_4$X compounds, we were likely able to produce an analogous La$_4$Co$_4$Sn in polycrystalline form, although we were unable to isolate single crystals. We anticipate that using mutually compatible third elements with an antagonistic pair represents a generalizable design principle for discovering new materials and structure types containing low-dimensional substructures.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2403_00204
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle La$_4$Co$_4$X (X = Pb, Bi, Sb): a demonstration of antagonistic pairs as a route to quasi-low dimensional ternary compounds
Slade, Tyler J.
Furukawa, Nao
Dygert, Matthew
Mohamed, Siham
Das, Atreyee
Xia, Weiyi
Wang, Cai-Zhuang
Budko, Sergey L.
Canfield, Paul C.
Materials Science
We outline how pairs of strongly immiscible elements, referred to here as antagonistic pairs, can be used to synthesize ternary compounds with quasi-reduced dimensional motifs. By identifying third elements that are compatible with a given antagonistic pair, ternary compounds can be formed in which the third element segregates the immiscible atoms into spatially separated substructures. Quasi-low dimensional structural units are a natural consequence of the immiscible atoms seeking to avoid contact in the solid-state. As proof of principle, we present the discovery and physical properties of La$_4$Co$_4$X (X = Pb, Bi, Sb), a new family of intermetallics based on the antagonistic pairs Co-Pb and Co-Bi. La$_4$Co$_4$X adopts a new orthorhombic crystal structure (space group Pbam) containing quasi-2D Co slabs and La-X layers that stack along the a-axis. Consistent with our proposal, the La atoms separate the Co and X substructures, ensuring there are no direct contacts between immiscible atoms. Within the Co slabs, the atoms occupy the vertices of corner sharing tetrahedra and triangles, and this motif produces flat electronic bands near the Fermi level that favor magnetism. The Co is moment bearing in La$_4$Co$_4$X, and we show that whereas La$_4$Co$_4$Pb behaves as a three dimensional antiferromagnet with T$_N$ = 220 K, La$_4$Co$_4$Bi and La$_4$Co$_4$Sb have behavior consistent with low dimensional magnetic coupling and ordering, with T$_N$ = 153 K and 143 K respectively. In addition to the Pb, Bi, and Sb based La$_4$Co$_4$X compounds, we were likely able to produce an analogous La$_4$Co$_4$Sn in polycrystalline form, although we were unable to isolate single crystals. We anticipate that using mutually compatible third elements with an antagonistic pair represents a generalizable design principle for discovering new materials and structure types containing low-dimensional substructures.
title La$_4$Co$_4$X (X = Pb, Bi, Sb): a demonstration of antagonistic pairs as a route to quasi-low dimensional ternary compounds
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00204