Anomalous remnant magnetization in dilute antiferromagnetic ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{1-x}{Y}_x{B}_4$

Abstract: Magnetic properties of dilute single crystals of ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{1-x}{Y}_x{B}_4$ ($x=0$, 0.2, and 0.4) were systematically studied. These antiferromagnetic Shastry-Sutherland compounds display a remnant magnetization $M{}_R$when field cooled below the Néel temperature $T_N$. The magnitude of $M{}_R$ at low magnetic fields is magnetic field dependent, increasing with increasing magnetic fields, and it saturates for $H\le 30$ Oe. The $M_R\left(T\right)$ data for both $x=0.2$ and 0.4 compositions overlap, and the remnant magnetization follows a universal behavior. We argue that these findings are explained by taking into account the formation of magnetic domains within the crystals, originating from the dilution of a magnetically frustrated, antiferromagnetic sublattice.