Single crystal synthesis and magnetic properties of a Shastry-Sutherland lattice compound BaNd2ZnS5...

Single crystals of a Shastry-Sutherland magnetic semiconductor, BaNd2ZnS5, were synthesized through a high-temperature solution growth technique. Physical properties were characterized by powder and single crystal x-ray diffraction, temperature- and field-dependent magnetization, and temperature-dependent specific heat measurements. BaNd2ZnS5 orders antiferromagnetically at 2.9 K, with magnetic moments primarily aligned within the ab-plane. Magnetic isothermal measurements show metamagnetic transitions at ∼15kOe for the [110] direction and ∼21kOe for the [100] direction. Estimated magnetic entropy suggests a double ground state for each neodymium ion.