Magnetic ordering with an XY-like anisotropy in the honeycomb lattice iridates ZnIrO₃ and MgIrO₃ synthesized via a metathesis reaction

We have successfully synthesized the novel antiferromagnets with Ir$^{4+}$ honeycomb lattice ZnIrO$_3$ and MgIrO$_3$ and investigated their magnetic and thermodynamic properties. The two iridates are isomorphic but exhibit qualitatively different magnetic properties. ZnIrO$_3$ shows antiferromagnetic ordering below 46.6 K, whereas MgIrO$_3$ displays weak ferromagnetic behavior below 31.8 K owing to formation of a canted antiferromagnetic ordering. The measurement of magnetic susceptibility with using an oriented powder sample revealed the presence of an XY-like magnetic anisotropy and a tilting magnetic structure which is possibly stabilized by the Kitaev interaction. Moreover, magnetization curves of MgIrO3 and ZnIrO3 up to 60 T show different behaviors, demonstrating that each magnetic ground state is different with each other. We discuss the difference in the ground state between MgIrO$_3$ and ZnIrO$_3$ from the viewpoint a magnetic model consisting of the Kitaev and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions with the spin frustration effect on the honeycomb lattice.