Zero-field spin structure and spin reorientations in layered organic antiferromagnet, κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Cl, with dzyaloshinskii–moriya interaction

Detailed magnetization measurements enabled us to claim that the layered organic insulator κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂-Cu[N(CN)₂]Cl [BEDT-TTF: bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene] with the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction has an antiferromagnetic spin structure with the easy axis being the crystallographic c-axis and the net canting moment parallel to the a-axis at zero magnetic field. This zero-field spin structure is significantly different from that proposed in the past studies. The assignment was achieved by arguments including a correction of the direction of the weak ferromagnetism, reinterpretations of magnetization behaviors, and reasoning based on known high-field spin structures. We suggest that only the contributions of the strong intralayer antiferromagnetic interaction, the moderately weak Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction, and the very weak interlayer ferromagnetic interaction can realize this spin structure. On the basis of this model, characteristic magnetic-field dependences of the magnetization can be interpreted as consequences of intriguing spin reorientations. The first reorientation is an unusual spin-flop transition under a magnetic field parallel to the b-axis. Although the existence of this transition is already known, the interpretation of what happens at this transition has been significantly revised. We suggest that this transition can be regarded as a spin-flop phenomenon of the local canting moment. We also claim that half of the spins rotate by 180° at this transition, in contrast to the conventional spin flop transition. The second reorientation is the gradual rotation of the spins during the variation of the magnetic field parallel to the c-axis. In this process, all the spins rotate around the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya vectors by 90°. The results of our simulation based on the classical spin model well reproduce these spin reorientation behaviors, which strongly support our claimed zero-field spin structure. The present study highlights the intriguing low-field magnetic properties of this material and may evoke further research on the low-field magnetism in this class of materials.