Comparative study of FeCr2S4 and FeSc2S4: Spinels with orbitally active A site

Abstract: Using first-principles density functional calculations, we perform a comparative study of two Fe based spinel compounds, FeCr2S4 and FeSc2S4. Though both systems contain an orbitally active A site with an Fe2+ ion, their properties are rather dissimilar. Our study unravels the microscopic origin of their behavior driven by the differences in hybridization of Fe d states with Cr/Sc d states and S p states in the two cases. This leads to important differences in the nature of the magnetic exchanges as well as the nearest versus next nearest neighbor exchange parameter ratios, resulting into significant frustration effects in FeSc2S4 which are absent in FeCr2S4.