Phase diagram of CeSb2 from magnetostriction and magnetization measurements: Evidence for ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic states

Cerium diantimonide (CeSb2) is one of a family of rare-earth-based magnetic materials that exhibit metamagnetism, enabling control of the magnetic ground state through an applied magnetic field. At low temperatures, CeSb2 hosts a rich phase diagram with multiple magnetically ordered phases for many of which the order parameter is only poorly understood. In this paper, we report a study of its metamagnetic properties by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and magnetization measurements. We use STM measurements to characterize the sample magnetostriction with subpicometer resolution from magnetic field and temperature sweeps. This allows us to directly assess the bulk phase diagram as a function of field and temperature and relate spectroscopic features from tunneling spectroscopy to bulk phases. Our magnetostriction and magnetization measurements indicate that the low-temperature ground state at zero field is ferrimagnetic. Quasiparticle interference mapping shows evidence for a reconstruction of the electronic structure close to the Fermi energy upon entering the magnetically ordered phase.

Automated summary

Cerium diantimonide is a rare-earth-based magnetic material that exhibits metamagnetism, allowing control of the magnetic ground state with an applied magnetic field. Through scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and magnetization measurements, researchers studied its metamagnetic properties and found that the low-temperature ground state at zero field is ferrimagnetic. The study also showed evidence for a reconstruction of the electronic structure close to the Fermi energy upon entering the magnetically ordered phase.