Spin trimer formation in the metallic compound Gd 3 Ru 4 Al 12 with a distorted kagome lattice structure

The magnetic and thermodynamic properties of metallic single-crystalline ${\\mathrm{Gd}}_{3}{\\mathrm{Ru}}_{4}{\\mathrm{Al}}_{12}$, wherein magnetic Gd-Al layers with a distorted kagome lattice structure and nonmagnetic Ru-Al layers are stacked alternately along the $c$ axis, have been reported. The present investigation demonstrates the gradual formation of ferromagnetic trimers on a distorted kagome lattice with a decrease in temperature by the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction. This may induce an effective transformation into an antiferromagnetic triangular lattice at low temperatures.