Sr2Cu(PO4)2 and Ba2Cu(PO4)2 as quasi-one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet

Using magnetic exchange couplings for antiferromagnets Sr2Cu(PO4)(2) and Ba2Cu(PO4)(2), estimated independently by Johannes (2006 [1]) and Salunke (2007 [2]), we present model calculations via exact diagonalization for several lattices of 24 and 16 spins by calculating experimentally accessible quantities like spin-spin correlation, the antiferromagnetic order-parameter, entropy-density, specific-heat and z-component of the magnetic susceptibility using up to 15 low-lying eigenstates. From our calculation, the ratio of critical entropy and mean-field critical entropy comes out to be similar to 0.492(7). The slope of the specific heat curve at low temperatures is found to be 2/3. The peak value of z-component of the magnetic susceptibility versus temperature curve turns out to be 1/3 chi similar to 0.05. Our results favor the conclusion that these magnetic compounds are indeed quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnets. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.