Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya Interaction and the Ground State in S = 3/2 Perfect Kagome Lattice Antiferromagnet KCr3(OH)6(SO4)2 (Cr-Jarosite) Studied by X-Band and High-Frequency ESR

A single crystal S=3/2 perfect kagome lattice antiferromagnet KCr₃(OH)₆(SO₄)₂ (Cr-jarosite) has been studied by X-band and high-frequency electron spin resonance (ESR). The g-values perpendicular to the kagome plane (c-axis) and in the plane are determined to be gc=1.9704 ± 0.0002 and g_ξ=1.9720 ± 0.0003, respectively, by high-frequency ESR observed at 265 K. Antiferromagnetic resonances (AFMR) with the antiferromagnetic gap of 120 GHz are observed at 1.9 K, which is below TN=4.5 K. The analysis of AFMR modes by the conventional molecular field theory shows dₚ=0.27 K and dz=0.07 K, where dₚ and dz are in-plane and out-of-plane components of DM d vector, respectively. From these results and the estimated exchange interaction J=6.15 K by Okuta et al., the ground state of Cr-jarosite is discussed in connection with the Monte Carlo simulations result with classical Heisenberg spins on the kagome lattice by Elhajal et al. Finally, the angular dependence of linewidth and the lineshape observed at 296 K by X-band ESR show typical behavior of a two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet, suggesting a good two-dimensionality of Cr-jarosite.