Influence of Mn substitution on the topological metal Zr2Te2P*

The ternary tetradymite Zr2Te2P was recently shown to be a simple example of Dirac nodal arc metal [1, 2], with nontrivial bands both above and below the Fermi energy. This invites further studies to access these novel bands (e.g., by tuning the Fermi energy) and to introduce additional interactions (e.g., by inserting magnetic ions). Here we present results from efforts to chemically substitute Mn into Zr2Te2P, where X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis (EDS) measurements show that single crystals form in expected structure and the Mn is present in concentrations of a few percent. TEM measurements additionally show that the Mn is evenly distributed inside the crystals, and that an additional P/Mn layer appears in the structure. Magnetization measurements reveal Curie Weiss behavior that is consistent with the Mn ions being in the divalent state. Fits to the data also indicate a ferromagnetic spin exchange along the c-axis and antiferromagnetic exchange in the ab plane, that is likely mediated by the RKKY interaction. At low temperatures we find evidence for a bulk disordered spin-glass phase, which is evident in the magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity.

[1] K.W chen., et al. Phys. Rev. B 97, 165112 (2018)

[2] J. Dai., et al. Phys. Rev. Lett 126, 196407 (2021)