Antiferromagnetism in the kagome-lattice compound α-Cu 3 Mg(OH) 6 Br 2
The antiferromagnetism in α-Cu 3 Mg(OH) 6 Br 2 was studied by magnetic-susceptibility, specificheat and neutron-diffraction measurements. The crystal structure consists of Cu 2+ kagome layers with Mg 2+ ions occupying the centers of the hexagons, separated by Br 1- ions. The magnetic system orders antiferromagnetically at 5.4 K with the magnetic moments aligned ferromagnetically within the kagome planes. The ordered moment is 0.94 µ B , suggesting little quantum and geometrical fluctuations. By comparing the magnetic and specific-heat properties with those of the haydeeite, we suggest that α-Cu 3 Mg(OH) 6 Br 2 may be described by the two-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg kagome model and is in the region of the ferromagnetic-order side of the phase diagram.