Susceptibility, Magnetization Process and ESR Studies on the Helical Spin System RbCuCl$_{3}$

Abstract

The static and dynamic magnetic properties of an $S=1/2$ stacked triangular antiferromagnet RbCuCl$_{3}$ with a helical spin structure due to lattice distortion were investigated by susceptibility, high-field magnetization process and ESR measurements. The susceptibilities were analyzed by high-temperature expansion approximation in terms of ferromagnetic intrachain coupling and the antiferromagnetic interchain coupling. The magnetization saturates at $H_{\rm s}\approx 66.8$ T at 1.5 K, the value of which is twice that of CsCuCl$_3$. A small magnetization jump indicative of a phase transition was observed at $H_{\rm c}=21.2$ T $\approx (1/3)H_{\rm s}$ for $H{\perp}c$. ESR modes observed for $H\parallel c$ are well described by the calculation based on the helical spin structure. From the present measurements, the ferromagnetic intrachain and two kinds of antiferromagnetic interchain exchange interactions, and the planar anisotropy energy were determined as $J_0/k_{\rm B}=25.7$ K, $J_1/k_{\rm B}=-10.6$ K, $J_1'/k_{\rm B}=-17.4$ K, and ${\Delta}J_0/k_{\rm B}=-0.45$ K, respectively.