Antiferromagnetic semiconductors like LiMnAs are new alternative materials for spintronic applications and spin valves. High purity LiMnAs has been obtained after heating mixtures of stoichiometric amounts of the elements in weld-sealed tantalum ampoules fitted with inline Al2O3 crucibles. The magnetic structure of LiMnAs is shown below. The latter has been solved from neutron powder data. The Néel temperature was obtained from fitting the magnetic moment versus the temperature by a power law [1].
Figure 1: Neutron powder pattern for LiMnAs at 1.6 K and its magnetic structure (left). Magnetic moment m of LiMnAs as a function of temperature (right).