Hole doping and antiferromagnetic correlations above the Néel temperature of the topological semimetal (Sr1−xKx)MnSb2

Neutron diffraction and magnetic susceptibility studies of orthorhombic single crystal (Sr0.97K0.03)MnSb2 confirm the three-dimensional (3D) C-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering of the Mn2+ moments at TN=305±3 K, which is slightly higher than that of the parent SrMnSb2 with TN=297±3 K. Susceptibility measurements of the K-doped and parent crystals above TN are characteristic of 2D AFM systems. This is consistent with high-temperature neutron diffraction of the parent compound that displays persisting 2D AFM correlations well above TN to at least ~560 K with no evidence of a ferromagnetic phase. Analysis of the de Haas–van Alphen magnetic oscillations of the K-doped crystal is consistent with hole doping.