Single crystal synthesis and physical properties of a Shastry-Sutherland compound, BaNd₂ZnS₅

Shastry-Sutherland (SS) lattice is a classical geometrically frustrated lattice type featuring a competition between nearest neighbor and next nearest neighbor interactions. In this talk, we present our recent work on a high-purity, single-crystalline semiconductor BaNd2ZnS5 where Nd atoms form a two-dimensional SS lattice [1]. Crystal synthesis procedure and detailed physical property characterizations via x-ray diffraction, magnetization and heat capacity measurements will be presented. BaNd2ZnS5 orders antiferromagnetically at 2.9 K with a Kramer’s doublet CEF ground state. Nd magnetic moments align primarily within the ab-plane, and magnetic isothermal measurements show metamagnetic transitions at ~15 kOe for [110] and ~21 kOe for [100]. Magnetic properties of other rare earth members in this family of compounds will also be discussed.