Investigation of magnetic properties on spin-ordering effects of FeGa2S4 and FeIn2S4

We have studied crystal and magnetic properties of chalcogenides FeGa2S4 and FeIn2S4 with X-ray diffractometer (XRD), magnetic property measurement system (MPMS), magnetometer, physical property measurement system (PPMS), and Mössbauer spectrometer. The crystal structure has 2-dimension triangular lattice structure with P-3m1 of FeGa2S4, while FeIn2S4 has inverse spinel with space group Fd3m. The AC magnetic susceptibility measurements show that FeGa2S4 is an insulating spin glass material, exhibiting geometrical frustration, unlike in the antiferromagnetic [AFM] metallic spin glass FeIn2S4. From hysteresis (M-H) curves at 4.2 K, FeGa2S4 has spin-flop behavior with an angle of 120° of triangle, as against linear slope of FeIn2S4 due to anti-parallel spin. The gap energy by splitting of 5T2g, Δ1 and electric quadrupole splitting ΔEQ of FeIn2S4 are much higher than that of FeGa2S4 at 4.2 K because FeGa2S4 is geometrically frustrated magnet having degenerate ground state at low temperature.