Degenerate magnetic ground state and metastable state on trihexagonal Co-sublattices in Co3Sn2(S,Se)2 single crystals

Abstract: A trihexagonal lattice has been predicted to retain a degenerate magnetic state which enriches physical properties. Especially, Co3Sn2S2, possessing trihexagonal Co-sublattices, has been observed to own topological quantum properties. Experimentally, Co3Sn2S2 has been reported to have hidden magnetic phases due to magnetic anomalies. To clarify the hidden magnetic phase, we fabricated high-quality single crystals of Co3Sn2S2-xSex (x = 0, 0.26, & 0.86). The Se-substitution is intended to broaden the distance between Co atoms. For each Se-composition, magnetizations of single-crystalline Co3Sn2S2-xSex implicate that the magnetic ground state consists of the out-of-plane ferromagnetism and the in-plane antiferromagnetism: Being degenerate. Meanwhile, along out-of-plane, remanent magnetizations of Co3Sn2S2-xSex have a first-order phase transition, so Co3Sn2S2-xSex owns an excited magnetic state, denoted as the metastable state. Consequently, we have provided semiclassical magnetic structures of the degenerate ground state and the metastable state via both magnetic symmetries and experimental constraints. Moreover, we have discovered mechanisms raising degeneracy and metastability.