Unusual Magnetic Properties in Layered Magnetic Topological Insulator EuSn2As2
Huijie Li, Wenshuai Gao, Zheng Chen, Weiwei Chu, Yong Nie, Shuaiqi Ma, Yuyan Han, Min Wu, Tian Li, Qun Niu, Wei Ning, Xiangde Zhu, Mingliang Tian
Abstract
EuSn2As2 with layered rhombohedral crystal structure is proposed to be a candidate of intrinsic antiferromagnetic (AFM) topological insulator. Here, we have investigated systematic magnetoresistance (MR) and magnetization measurements on the high quality EuSn2As2 single crystal with the magnetic field both parallel and perpendicular to (00l) plane. Both the kink of magnetic susceptibility and longitudinal resistivity reveal that EuSn2An2 undergoes an AFM transition at TN = 21 K. At T = 2 K, the magnetization exhibits two successive plateaus of ~ 5.6 μB/Eu and ~ 6.6 μB/Eu at the corresponding critical magnetic fields. Combined with the negative longitudinal MR and abnormal Hall resistance, we demonstrate that EuSn2An2 undergoes complicated magnetic transitions from an AFM state to a canted ferromagnetic (FM) state at Hc and then to a polarized FM state at Hs as the magnetic field increase.