Reentrant behavior and possible 2/3 magnetization plateau on the double-trillium langbeinite K2Ni2(SO4)3
K2Ni2(SO4)3 is a member of the langbeinite family, consisting of two intertwined S = 1 trillium lattices, of which one is strongly coupled (strong-TL) and the other is weakly coupled (weak-TL). Further intertrillium interactions give rise to a highly frustrated Heisenberg Hamiltonian. Despite ordering at low temperatures, K2Ni2(SO4)3 lies close in parameter space to a spin-liquid region that surrounds the tetratrillium limit, where each triangle belonging to the strong-TL turns into a tetrahedron by connecting to a single spin from the weak-TL. Here, we compare the experimentally determined magnetization process using pulsed magnetic fields up to 40 T with classical Monte Carlo calculations, uncovering a series of phase transitions at both low and intermediate fields. Furthermore, we reveal a signature of a 2/3 magnetization plateau consisting of a 1/3 phase on the strong-TL and a fully polarized phase on the weak-TL. Although in the classical limit no plateau is expected, we find a very prominent dome structure reflecting the tendency of the system to stabilize this particular spin configuration. The presence of a dome leads to a reentrant phenomenon in which the system recovers the Hamiltonian symmetries when increasing the magnetic field. Finally, we show that this plateau-like phase is also present in the classical Heisenberg model on the single trillium and tetratrillium lattices, indicating its possible presence in the large family of double-trillium langbeinite compounds. Our findings motivate future studies on the presence of the plateau phase in the quantum limit of both trillium and double-trillium materials within the langbeinite family.
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Gonzalez, M. G., Skourski, Y., Reuther, J., & Živković, I. (2026). Reentrant behavior and possible 2/3 magnetization plateau on the double-trillium langbeinite K2Ni2(SO4)3. Physical Review B, 114(17), Article 175105. https://doi.org/10.1103/91GG-T2KV
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