A novel magnetic field-induced switching of the magnetization easy axis has been discovered in the layered compound CeSb2, which crystallizes in an orthorhombic structure with nearly identical lattice constants along the a- and b-axes, giving it a tetragonal-like appearance. When a magnetic field is applied along an orthorhombic in-plane axis at 4.2 K, magnetization increases abruptly around 34 T, followed by a hysteresis loop upon decreasing the field. Subsequent measurements reveal a significantly enhanced magnetization, indicative of a switch of the magnetization easy axis. Conversely, the other orthorhombic in-plane axis becomes the magnetization hard axis. Surprisingly, the easy axis is switchable by changing the field direction to the other orthorhombic in-plane axis. Moreover, this memory effect is stable up to room temperature. Polarized light microscope images have visually revealed domain formation of the as-cast samples and domain rearrangement by magnetic fields. This intriguing axis-conversion phenomenon is a novel magnetic shape memory effect for heat cycles up to room temperature. It is attributed to the specific in-plane Ce-pantograph networks in CeSb2.
@article{arxiv.2503.20361,
title = {Novel Easy-Axis Switching through Metamagnetism in CeSb$_2$},
author = {Atsushi Miyake and Ryuta Hayasaka and Hiroto Fukuda and Masaki Kondo and Yuto Kinoshita and Dexin Li and Ai Nakamura and Yusei Shimizu and Yoshiya Homma and Fuminori Honda and Masashi Tokunaga and Dai Aoki},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.20361},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
6 pages, 4 figures, including supplemental material. To be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn