Flux Growth and Magnetoresistance Behavior of Rare Earth Zintl Phase EuMgSn

Reactions of europium and tin in 1:1 Mg/Al mixed flux produce large crystals of EuMgSn. This phase crystallizes with the TiNiSi structure type in orthorhombic space group Pnma (a = 8.0849(7) Å, b = 4.8517(4) Å, c = 8.7504(8) Å, Z = 4, R1 = 0.0137). The crystal structure features europium cations positioned between puckered hexagonal layers comprised of magnesium and tin atoms. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the europium in this phase is divalent, which suggests that the compound is possibly valence-balanced as Eu2+Mg2+Sn4–. However, EuMgSn is a metal as indicated by density of states calculations and electrical resistivity behavior. This phase exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering at TN = 10.9 K at low field (100 G) and the ordering temperature decreases when a higher magnetic field is applied. ac magnetization and field dependence of resistivity at 4.2 K reveal that there is a spin reorientation at 2 T, in agreement with the metamagnetic transition shown in the dc magnetization versus field data. Temperature dependence of resistivity at 2.5 T indicates that EuMgSn has a large magnetoresistance up to −30% near its magnetic ordering temperature.