Metamagnetic transition in Ca$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$Co$_2$As$_2$($x$ = 0 and 0.1) single crystals

Abstract

We report the magnetism and transport measurements of CaCo$_2$As$_2$ and Ca$_{0.9}$Sr$_{0.1}$Co$_2$As$_2$ single crystals. Antiferromagnetic transition was observed at about 70 K and 90 K for CaCo$_2$As$_2$ and Ca$_{0.9}$Sr$_{0.1}$Co$_2$As$_2$, respectively. Magnetism and magnetoresistance measurements reveal metamagnetic transition from an antiferromagnetic state to a ferromagnetic state with the critical field of 3.5 T and 1.5 T respectively along c-axis for these two materials at low temperature. For the field along ab-plane, spins can also be fully polarized above the field of 4.5 T for Ca$_{0.9}$Sr$_{0.1}$Co$_2$As$_2$. While for CaCo$_2$As$_2$, spins can not be fully polarized up to 7 T. We proposed the cobalt moments of these two materials should be ordered ferromagnetically within the ab-plane but antiferromagnetically along the c-axis(A-type AFM).