Enhanced Néel Temperature and Unusual Thermal Expansion in Flux-Grown FeCrAs Crystals

Abstract

We report results from our experimental investigation of the distorted kagome compound FeCrAs. We used tin metal as a flux to produce needlelike crystals, which we characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction as well as measurements of magnetization, electrical transport, and heat capacity. The physical behaviors differ in two notable ways from those of previously studied crystals grown from a stoichiometric melt. First, the Néel temperature is found to be 150 K, about 25 K higher than in previous reports. Second, the Sommerfeld coefficient, a measure of the electronic heat capacity, is found to be significantly smaller than the previously reported value. These differences indicate stronger magnetic interactions and fewer charge carriers in the flux-grown crystals, which may be related to differences in stoichiometry or disorder. In addition, we find unusual thermal expansion behavior, with an anomaly at the Néel temperature and nearly temperature-independent thermal expansion along the hexagonal c-axis above this transition. This suggests significant spin–lattice coupling, which may provide insight into nonmetallic transport properties that have been associated with anomalous charge carrier scattering. The flux growth presented here may provide a useful approach for tuning crystal chemistry to explore magnetism, transport, and spin–lattice coupling in this interesting material.