Magnetic transition from the paramagnetic to long-period structure in RMn2O5 multiferroics: Renormalization group analysis of critical behavior

A transition from the paramagnetic state to a long-period magnetic structure with an incommensurate wave vector along one crystallographic axis in RMn₂O₅ multiferroics is considered. An effective Hamiltonian for these oxides is constructed with allowance for spin fluctuations. Critical points are found, and their stability is analyzed using the renormalization group approach. It is shown that critical fluctuations in these compounds admit a second-order phase transition with respect to a multicomponent order parameter.     

Order parameters and phase diagram of multiferroic RMn2O5

The generic magnetic phase diagram of multiferroic RMn2O5 (with R=Y, Ho, Tb, Er, Tm), which allows different sequences of ordered magnetic structures for different R's and different control parameters, is described using order parameters which explicitly incorporate the magnetic symmetry. A phenomenological magnetoelectric coupling is used to explain why some of these magnetic phases are also ferroelectric. Several new experiments, which can test this theory, are proposed.     

Critical behavior of heat capacity of the SC(NH2)2 ferroelectric in the region of incommensurate phase transition

The anomalous (nonclassical) behavior of heat capacity in the region of the second-order phase transition “initial phase-incommensurate phase” was experimentally observed in the SC(NH₂)₂ ferroelectric. Such a critical behavior of heat capacity above and below the temperature of incommensurate phase transition is shown to be qualitatively consistent with the fluctuation theory of XY-type systems.     

Critical behavior of polar modes in lead phosphate near the ferroelastic phase transition

The temperature dependence of IR reflection spectra (15–4000 cm^?1) of A_u and B_u modes in the α phase and of E_u modes in the β phase of lead phosphate has been studied with a Fourier transform scattering interferometer. Frequencies, dampings and oscillator strengths of all modes show critical behavior, more or less marked, in the vicinity of the transition temperature. Correlations between the modes in both phases, including Raman results, are made. The temperature at which most of the modes lose their polar character is found more than ten degrees above that found by means of other techniques. Raman and X-ray data also indicate that characteristics of the monoclinic structure still persist well above T_c = 180°.     

Critical behaviour near the incommensurate-commensurate phase transition in dysprosium

Neutron scattering measurements of the helical turnangle indicate that the incommensurate-commensurate transition in Dy obeys a logarithmic mean-field behaviour and not a β-exponent power law.     

On the possibility of the incommensurate phase near α⇄β transition point in quartz

Explanation of the experimental data on the existance of periodical domain structure near the α?β transition point in quartz reported by G. van Tendeloo et al. is proposed. It is shown that due to the interaction between the soft optical branch and the acoustic one that the soft mode frequency in quartz may correspond to the wave vectors of non-zero value. The specific angular dependence in the soft mode dispersion law provided by such an interaction makes it possible to determine the incommensurate superstructures wave vector's directions. The last coincides with the experimentally observed one. A possible origin of the temperature region narrowness of the incommensurate phase existence is discussed.     

Nonlinear transport near a quantum phase transition in two dimensions

The problem of nonlinear transport near a quantum phase transition is solved within the Landau theory for the dissipative insulator-superconductor phase transition in two dimensions. Using the nonequilibrium Schwinger round-trip Green function formalism, we obtain the scaling function for the nonlinear conductivity in the quantum-disordered regime. We find that the conductivity scales as E2 at low fields but crosses over at large fields to a universal constant on the order of e(2)/h. The crossover between these two regimes obtains when the length scale for the quantum fluctuations becomes comparable to that of the electric field within logarithmic accuracy.     

Magnetic phase transition and magnetic structure of ground state in CsDyW O

Magnetic phase transition in the CsDyW₂O₈ magnet has been studied by means of low temperature specific heat C ( T ) measurements. The magnetic ordering temperature of the Dy³⁺ sublattice was established to be 1.34 K. The experimental results indicate on the antiferromagnetic character of interactions between Dy³⁺ ions. The behavior of the C ( T ) dependencies above and below T _N is discussed in frames of different theoretical models. The measurements data on temperature and field dependencies of magnetization are used to calculate the exchange and dipole-dipole interactions energy and to determine the possible magnetic structure of the ground state. Received 7 January 2002 / Received in final form 15 May 2002 Published online 7 September 2002     

First order magnetic phase transition in GeCo2O4

The antiferromagnetic compound GeCo₂O₄ exhibits a magnetic phase transition characterized by thermal hysteresis of the susceptibility versus temperature curve and by a diffuse neutron scattering with a small correlation length. The data are compared to the expected first-order phase transition of the n ≥ 4 component vector models.     

Molecular-spin dynamics study of electromagnons in multiferroic RMn2O5

We investigate the electromagnon in magnetoferroelectrics RMn(2)O(5) using combined molecular-spin dynamics simulations. We confirm that the origin of the electromagnon modes observed in the optical spectra is due to the exchange-striction interaction between the magnons and the phonons, and the dielectric step at the magnetic phase transition is due to the appearance of the electromagnon in the low-temperature phase in these materials. The magnetic anisotropy breaks the rotational symmetry of the magnetic structures and, as a result, the electromagnon splits into three modes in RMn(2)O(5). We find that the electromagnon frequencies are very sensitive to the magnetic wavevector along the a direction q(x). Therefore, the electromagnon frequencies of TmMn(2)O(5) (q(x) ~ 0.467) are expected to be much higher than those of other materials of the family, such as R= Tb, Y, Ho, etc (q(x) ~ 0.48). We further calculate the electromagnons in the magnetic field, and find a new mode appearing in the magnetic field. Although the modes' frequencies change significantly under magnetic field, the total static dielectric constant contributed from the electromagnons does not change much in the magnetic field, suggesting that the colossal magnetodielectric effects in these materials may not be caused by the electromagnons.     

Magnetoelectric coupling in RMn2O5 multiferroic: a Monte Carlo simulation

Magnetoelectric coupling in RMn₂O₅ (with R?=?non magnetic) multiferroics have been studied using the Monte Carlo simulation. The variation of magnetization and the polarization of RMn₂O₅ multiferroic have been determined. The system undergoes a magnetic transition at T_N and a further reduction of the temperature leads to a ferroelectric transition at T_C?<_? T_N depending on the coupling strength. Magnetic and ferroelectric hysteresis loops are obtained for several temperatures values. Variation of polarization with the external magnetic field of RMn₂O₅ has been given. Variation of polarization and magnetization with the electric field of RMn₂O₅ has been obtained.     

Influence of irradiation defects on the incommensurate phase of Ba2NaNb5O15

Preliminary observations of the incommensurate phase of barium sodium niobate under irradiation are reported here. Defects induce the stabilization of the incommensurate phase at room temperature although the effect of temperature on the incommensurability δ is still visible.     

Critical slowing of local fluctuations near the paraelectric-incommensurate phase transition in Rb2ZnCl4

A study is reported of the anomalous broadening of Mn²⁺ EPR lines on the high-temperature side of the paraelectric-incommensurate phase transition in Rb₂ZnCl₄ crystals. It is shown that the resonant-line broadening is inhomogeneous and due to the contribution of low-frequency fluctuations corresponding to the central peak in the elementary-excitation spectrum. The data obtained have permitted us to obtain the critical correlation-length exponent ν=0.64±0.02 corresponding to the 3d XY model of Heisenberg. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 122–125 (January 1999)     

Positive muon spin precession in magnetic oxides MnO and V2O3; local fields and phase transition

Muon spin precession is observed in the ordered state of antiferromagnetic oxides MnO and V₂O₃. An anomalous temperature dependence of muon precession frequency and the absence of critical behavior atT _N are found in MnO and a hysterisis of the transition temperature is observed in V₂O₃. These results are explained in terras of the crystal distortion of these materials belowT _N.We would like to thank Dr. T. Suzuki, Dr. S. Takagi, Dr. Y. Kuno and Dr. C.Y. Huang for their help in the measurements, and Dr. K. Kosuge and Dr. S. Kachi for providing the specimen of V₂O₃. We are grateful to the financial support from Japan Society for Promotion of Science.     

Mixturelike behavior near a liquid-liquid phase transition in simulations of supercooled water

In simulations of a waterlike model (ST2) that exhibits a liquid-liquid phase transition, we test for the occurrence of a thermodynamic region in which the liquid can be modeled as a two-component mixture. We assign each molecule to one of two species based on the distance to its fifth-nearest neighbor, and evaluate the concentration of each species over a wide range of temperature and density. Our concentration data compare well with mixture-model predictions in a region between the liquid-liquid critical temperature and the temperature of maximum density. Fits of the model to the data in this region yield accurate estimates for the location of the critical point. We also show that the liquid outside the region of density anomalies is poorly modeled as a simple mixture.