Single crystal growth and magnetic properties in triangular chain compound Ni2SiO4

Sub-centimeter-scale Ni₂SiO₄ single crystals were grown by a flux method with K₂MoO₄ as the flux. The obtained crystals exhibit high quality and were characterized using X-ray diffraction, chemical analysis, and magnetic properties, including high magnetic field (H) magnetization (M) measurements. The results of magnetic susceptibility and specific heat of a single crystal reveal significant magnetic anisotropy and antiferromagnetic ordering below T_N = 30 K. High-field magnetization up to 43 T of polycrystalline shows six magnetic phase transitions at H₁ = 14 T, H₂ = 18.4 T, H₃ = 23 T, H₄ = 29 T, H₅ = 32.5 T, and H₆ = 37 T, forming a complex magnetic phase diagram with seven phases. Notably, the M exhibits a linear relationship with H during phases V (H₄ < H < H₅) and VII (H > H₆), showing intercepts at 0 and half of magnetization saturation respectively, implying the presence of a spin flop transition and a 1/2 magnetization plateau. These novel phenomena in such a triangular chain system highlight complex physical nature, making Ni₂SiO₄ a promising candidate for studying intricate magnetic interactions.