Spin-glass state induced low field magnetization-step effect in a Hg1-xMnxTe single crystal

The low field magnetization-step effect was observed in the spin-glass (SG) regime of p-type Hg0.8Mn0.2Te single crystal when the temperature was less than about 3K. The main features of this effect were (i) the magnetic susceptibility suddenly reduced to almost zero as the magnetic field decreased below a critical value; (ii) the critical magnetic field correlated reversely to temperature. In addition, X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and temperature-dependent Hall measurements manifested this effect was the intrinsic nature of the Hg1-xMnxTe single crystal. Qualitative theoretical analysis suggests that the possible mechanism of low field magnetization-step effect is the combined effect of SG transition and (long-range) antiferromagnetic interactions among Mn2+ ions in randomly frustrated spins system. (C) 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim