Magnetic interactions and high-field properties of Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7): frustrated alternating chain close to the dimer limit
Abstract
We report on high-field magnetic properties of the silver vanadium phosphate Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7). This compound has a layered crystal structure, but the specific topology of the V-P-O framework gives rise to a one-dimensional spin system, a frustrated alternating chain. Low-field magnetization measurements and band structure calculations show that Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7) is close to the dimer limit with the largest nearest-neighbor interaction of about 30 K. High-field magnetization data reveal the critical fields μ0Hc1 of about 23 T (closing of the spin gap) and μ0Hc2 of about 30 T (saturation by full alignment of the magnetic moments). From Hc1 to Hc2 the magnetization increases sharply similar to the system of isolated dimers. Thus, the magnetic frustration in Ag(2)VOP(2)O(7) bears little influence on the high-field properties of this compound.