Magnetic anomalies in the spin-chain compound Sr₃CuRhO₆: Griffiths-phase-like behavior of magnetic susceptibility

Abstract

We report the results of ac and dc magnetic susceptibility (χ), heat-capacity (C), isothermal magnetization, and isothermal remanent magnetization measurements on the compound Sr₃CuRhO₆ crystallizing in a K₄CdCl₆-derived monoclinic structure. The magnetization data reveal distinct magnetic anomalies near 6 and 12 K with decreasing temperature (T). While the transition below (T₀=) 6 K appears to be of a spin-glass type as inferred from all the data, the one at 12 K is not typical of bulk ferromagnetism, in contrast to an earlier proposal. In the range of 6-12 K, the dc χ obeys the form χ⁻¹α(T-T₀)^1−λ (0<λ<1) for very low dc fields, and the values of χ decrease gradually with the application of higher magnetic fields, mimicking the behavior of Griffiths phases.