Evidence for the singlet-dimer ground state in an S = 1 antiferromag netic bond alternating chain

Susceptibility, ESR and magnetization measurements have been performed on si ngle crystals of an S=1 bond alternating chain compound: [Ni(333-tet)(\mu-NO _2)](ClO_4) (333-tet = N,N'-bis(3-aminopropyl)propane-1,3-diamine) and the c ompound doped with a small amount of Zn. We observed an anomalous angular de pendence in the Zn-doped sample. These behaviors are well explained by the m odel based on the VBS picture for the singlet-dimer phase. The picture impli es that the free spins of S=1 with a positive single-ion anisotropy are indu ced at the edges of the chains without forming the singlet-dimer.Comment: RevTeX, 14pages (preprint.sty) with 5figures, submitted to Phys. R ev. Let

Magnetization Plateaus in the Spin-1/2 Kagome Antiferromagnets: Volborthite and Vesignieite

The magnetization of two spin-1/2 kagome antiferromagnets, volborthite and vesignieite, has been measured in pulsed magnetic fields up to 68 T. A magnetization plateau is observed for each compound near the highest magnetic field. Magnetizations at saturation are approximately equal to 0.40Ms for both compounds, where Ms is the fully saturated magnetization, irrespective of a difference in the distortion of the kagome lattice between the two compounds. It should be noted that these values of magnetizations are significantly larger than Ms/3 predicted theoretically for the one-third magnetization plateau in the spin-1/2 kagome antiferromagnet. The excess magnetization over Ms/3 is nearly equal to the sum of the magnetizations gained at the second and third magnetization steps in volborthite, suggesting that there is a common origin for the excess magnetization and the magnetization steps.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Phys. Rev. B, accepte