Spin waves and quantum criticality in the frustrated XY pyrochlore antiferromagnet Er2Ti2O7

We report detailed measurements of the low temperature magnetic phase diagram of Er2Ti2O7. Heat capacity and time-of-flight neutron scattering studies of single crystals reveal unconventional low-energy states. Er3+ magnetic ions reside on a pyrochlore lattice in Er2Ti2O7, where local XY anisotropy and antiferromagnetic interactions give rise to a unique frustrated system. In zero field, the ground state exhibits coexisting short and long-range order, accompanied by soft collective spin excitations previously believed to be absent. The application of finite magnetic fields tunes the ground state continuously through a landscape of noncollinear phases, divided by a zero temperature phase transition at micro{0}H{c} approximately 1.5 T. The characteristic energy scale for spin fluctuations is seen to vanish at the critical point, as expected for a second order quantum phase transition driven by quantum fluctuations.     

Spin liquid state in the S = 1/2 triangular lattice Ba3CuSb2O9

The synthesis and characterization of Ba3CuSb2O9, which has a layered array of Cu2+ spins in a triangular lattice, are reported. The magnetic susceptibility and neutron scattering experiments of this material show no magnetic ordering down to 0.2 K with a θ(CW) = -55 K. The magnetic specific heat reveals a T-linear dependence with a γ = 43.4 mJ K(-2) mol(-1) below 1.4 K. These observations suggest that Ba3CuSb2O9 is a new quantum spin liquid candidate with a S = 1/2 triangular lattice.     

Spin dynamics and magnetic order in magnetically frustrated Tb2Sn2O7

We report a study of the geometrically frustrated magnetic material Tb2Sn2O7 by the positive muon-spin relaxation technique. No signature of a static magnetically ordered state is detected while neutron magnetic reflections are observed in agreement with a published report. This is explained by the dynamical nature of the ground state of Tb2Sn2O7: the Tb3+ magnetic moment characteristic fluctuation time is approximately 10(-10) s. The strong effect of the magnetic field on the muon-spin-lattice relaxation rate at low fields indicates a large field-induced increase of the magnetic density of states of the collective excitations at low energy.     

Specific Heat of the Er2Ge2O7–Er2Sn2O7 Solid Solutions in the Temperature Range of 350–1000 K

Physics of the Solid State - Er2Ge2O7–Er2Sn2O7 solid solutions have been obtained using solid-state synthesis by burning the stoichiometric mixtures of the initial oxides in air in the...     

Neutron crystal-field spectroscopy of RNi 2 11 B2C (R = Ho,Er, Tm)

Inelastic neutron scattering experiments of the crystal-field (CEF) splitting of the R³⁺ ions (R = Ho, Er, Tm) in the superconductor RNi ₂ ¹¹ B₂C have been performed in the paramagnetic as well as in the magnetically ordered state in order to deduce the CEF parameters which in turn determine the thermodynamic magnetic properties of these systems. The calculated ordered magnetic moments are in agreement with magnetic neutron diffraction results, i.e. both the easy axis and the size of the zero-field moments are correctly reproduced. In addition, the entropy involved in the magnetic ordering obtained from specific heat measurements is in correspondence with the number of low-lying CEF states observed in this study. Our CEF parameter set also reproduces both the behavior and the anisotropy in M/H measured for single crystals.     

Magnetic field enhancement of heat transport in the 2D Heisenberg antiferromagnet K2V3O8

The thermal conductivity and heat capacity of single crystals of the spin 1/2 quasi-2D Heisenberg antiferromagnet K(2)V(3)O(8) have been measured from 1.9 to 300 K in magnetic fields from 0 to 8 T. The zero field thermal conductivity data are consistent with resonant scattering of phonons by magnons near the zone boundary. Application of a magnetic field greater than 1 T, however, produces a new magnetic ground state with substantial heat transport by long wavelength magnons.     

Energy separation of single-particle and continuum states in an S = 1/2 weakly coupled chains antiferromagnet

Inelastic neutron scattering is used to study transverse-polarized magnetic excitations in the quasi-one-dimensional S = 1/2 antiferromagnet BaCu2Si2O7, where the saturation value for the Neel order parameter is m(0) = 0.12&mgr;(B) per spin. At low energies the spectrum is totally dominated by resolution-limited spin-wave-like excitations. An excitation continuum sets in above a well-defined threshold frequency. Experimental results are discussed in the context of current theories for weakly interacting quantum half-integer-spin chains.     

Sperimagnetism in Fe78Er5B17 and Fe64Er19B17 metallic glasses: I. Moment values and non-collinear components

Magnetization measurements have been made on a Fe(64)Er(19)B(17) glass, which exhibits ferrimagnetic compensation at T(comp) = 112 K, and polarized beam neutron scattering measurements have been made on Fe(78)Er(5)B(17) and Fe(64)Er(19)B(17) glasses to supplement the measurements made earlier on Fe(64)Er(19)B(17). The magnetization data were analysed with a phenomenological model, to find the magnetic moments and their components needed to interpret the neutron data. Four spin-dependent scattering cross-sections were obtained in absolute units from each neutron experiment, to determine the atomic-scale magnetic structures of the two glasses. The finite spin-flip cross-sections confirmed that these (Fe,Er)(83)B(17) glasses are non-collinear ferrimagnets. The cross-sections were calculated using a model based on random cone arrangements of the magnetic moments. The moment values and the random cone angles were refined in the calculations, which produced good agreement between the calculated curves and the experimental data. The forward limit of the spin-flip cross-sections |?σ(±?)/?Ω|(Q=0) of the Fe(64)Er(19)B(17) glass which peaked at T(comp) and the temperature variation of the total scattering amplitudes (b(?)p(∥)(Q)) suggested that the random cone angles open fully so that the collinear components p(∥)(Q) tend to zero at T(comp). The ferrimagnetic compensation is therefore characterized by an equality of the magnetic sublattices; the reversal of the magnetic structure and a compensated sperimagnetic phase which appears at T(comp).     

Unconventional magnetic correlations in DyB2C and HoB2C

Layered borocarbides RB2C (R=Dy, Ho, and Er) have been studied by powder neutron diffraction at 2-30 K. ErB2C has two-sublattice antiferromagnetic order below T(N)=16.3 K, but DyB2C and HoB2C show a coexistence of a conventional canted k=(000) ferromagnetic structure and unconventional magnetic correlations. The k=(000) phase orders at T(c)=8.5 K (DyB2C) and 7.1 K (HoB2C), but low-Q diffraction peaks from the unconventional correlations appear above T(c) with different critical temperatures for different peaks: at 8, 10.5, and 15.7 K for HoB2C. This scattering is fitted as diffraction from a Warren-type random magnetic layer lattice and may result from quadrupolar interactions between R3+ spins.     

Spin dynamics of the spin-1/2 kagome lattice antiferromagnet ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2

We have performed thermodynamic and neutron scattering measurements on the S=1/2 kagomé lattice antiferromagnet ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2. The susceptibility indicates a Curie-Weiss temperature of theta CW approximately = -300 K; however, no magnetic order is observed down to 50 mK. Inelastic neutron scattering reveals a spectrum of low energy spin excitations with no observable gap down to 0.1 meV. The specific heat at low-T follows a power law temperature dependence. These results suggest that an unusual spin liquid state with essentially gapless excitations is realized in this kagomé lattice system.     

A new family of ternary intermetallic superconducting/magnetic stannides

A new family of rare earth-rhodium-tin intermetallic compounds, with the representative formula (RE)Rh_xSn_y, has been synthesized in single crystal form. The compounds containing the heavier rare earths are superconducting and those with the lighter rare earths are generally magnetic. The compound ErRh_1.1Sn_3.6 exhibits reentrant superconductivity with T_c = 0.97 K and T_m = 0.57 K as determined from ac magnetic susceptibility measurements. The synthesis and X-ray characterization of the series are described and the results of electrical resistivity, upper critical magnetic field, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and neutron scattering measurements on the Er compound are given.     

Quantum impurities and the neutron resonance peak in YBa2Cu3O7: Ni versus Zn

The influence of magnetic (S=1) and nonmagnetic (S=0) impurities on the spin dynamics of an optimally doped high temperature superconductor is compared in YBa2(Cu0.97Ni0.03)3O7 (Tc=80 K) and YBa2(Cu0.99Zn0.01)3O7 (Tc=78 K). In the Ni-substituted system, the magnetic resonance peak (which is observed at Er approximately 40 meV in the pure system) shifts to lower energy with a preserved Er/Tc ratio while the shift is much smaller upon Zn substitution. By contrast Zn, but not Ni, restores significant spin fluctuations around 40 meV in the normal state. These observations are discussed in the light of models proposed for the magnetic resonance peak.     

The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects in binary R-T(R = Pr,Gd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er,Tm;T = Ga,Ni,Co,Cu)intermetallic compounds

In this paper, we review the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects(MCE) of binary R–T(R = Pr, Gd, Tb,Dy, Ho, Er, Tm; T = Ga, Ni, Co, Cu) intermetallic compounds(including RGa series, RNi series, R_(12)Co_7 series, R_3 Co series and RCu_2series), which have been investigated in detail in the past several years. The R–T compounds are studied by means of magnetic measurements, heat capacity measurements, magnetoresistance measurements and neutron powder diffraction measurements. The R–T compounds show complex magnetic transitions and interesting magnetic properties.The types of magnetic transitions are investigated and confirmed in detail by multiple approaches. Especially, most of the R–T compounds undergo more than one magnetic transition, which has significant impact on the magnetocaloric effect of R–T compounds. The MCE of R–T compounds are calculated by different ways and the special shapes of MCE peaks for different compounds are investigated and discussed in detail. To improve the MCE performance of R–T compounds,atoms with large spin(S) and atoms with large total angular momentum(J) are introduced to substitute the related rare earth atoms. With the atom substitution, the maximum of magnetic entropy change(?SM), refrigerant temperature width(Twidth)or refrigerant capacity(RC) is enlarged for some R–T compounds. In the low temperature range, binary R–T(R = Pr, Gd,Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm; T = Ga, Ni, Co, Cu) intermetallic compounds(including RGa series, RNi series,R_(12)Co_7 series, R_3 Co series and RCu_2series) show excellent performance of MCE, indicating the potential application for gas liquefaction in the future.     

Evidence for gapped spin-wave excitations in the frustrated Gd2Sn2O7 pyrochlore antiferromagnet from low-temperature specific heat measurements

We have measured the low-temperature specific heat of the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet Gd2Sn2O7 in zero magnetic field. The specific heat is found to drop exponentially below approximately 350 mK. This provides evidence for a gapped spin-wave spectrum due to an anisotropy resulting from single-ion effects and long-range dipolar interactions. The data are well fitted by linear spin-wave theory, ruling out unconventional low-energy magnetic excitations in this system, and allowing a determination of the pertinent exchange interactions in this material.     

Novel neutron resonance mode in dx2-y2-wave superconductors

We show that a new resonant magnetic excitation at incommensurate momenta, observed recently by inelastic neutron scattering experiments on YBa2Cu3O6.85 and YBa2Cu3O6.6, is a spin exciton. Its location in the Brillouin zone and its frequency are determined by the momentum dependence of the particle-hole continuum. We identify several features that distinguish this novel mode from the previous resonance mode observed near Q=(pi,pi).     

Electronic and magnetic properties of rare-earth ions in REBa2Cu3O7-x (RE=Dy,Ho, Er)

Heat capacity, resistivity, and magnetic susceptability data have been obtained for the compounds REBa₂Cu₃O_7-x, where RE = Dy, Ho or Er. Neutron diffraction data on the Ho compound show a structure identical to that of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x. Magnetic transitions are observed at T_m=0.95, 0.17 and 0.59 K for Dy, Ho and Er compounds, respectively. It is argued that these are due predominantly to dipolar interactions. Resistivity data show that the magnetic state is coexistent with superconductivity in all cases. From the heat capacity data, the degeneracies of the crystal field ground states are determined, and estimates are given for the magnetic moment in the ground state and the energy separation of the first excited crystal field state.     

Field-induced order and spin waves in the pyrochlore antiferromagnet Tb2Ti207

High resolution time-of-flight neutron scattering measurements on Tb(2)Ti(2)0(7) reveal a rich low temperature phase diagram in the presence of a magnetic field applied along [110]. In zero field at T = 0.4 K, Tb(2)Ti(2)0(7) is a highly correlated cooperative paramagnet with disordered spins residing on a pyrochlore lattice of corner-sharing tetrahedra. Application of a small field condenses much of the magnetic diffuse scattering, characteristic of the disordered spins, into a new Bragg peak characteristic of a polarized paramagnet. At higher fields, a magnetically ordered phase is induced, which supports spin wave excitations indicative of continuous, rather than Ising-like, spin degrees of freedom.     

Dy2Ti2O7 spin ice: a test case for emergent clusters in a frustrated magnet

Dy2Ti2O7 is a geometrically frustrated magnetic material with a strongly correlated spin ice regime that extends from 1 K down to as low as 60 mK. The diffuse elastic neutron scattering intensities in the spin ice regime can be remarkably well described by a phenomenological model of weakly interacting hexagonal spin clusters, as invoked in other geometrically frustrated magnets. We present a highly refined microscopic theory of Dy2Ti2O7 that includes long-range dipolar and exchange interactions to third nearest neighbors and which demonstrates that the clusters are purely fictitious in this material. The seeming emergence of composite spin clusters and their associated scattering pattern is instead an indicator of fine-tuning of ancillary correlations within a strongly correlated state.     

Spin glass state in crystals of barium ferrigermanate Ba2Fe2GeO7

The temperature dependence of the magnetization and elastic neutron scattering spectra of Ba₂Fe₂GeO₇ barium ferrigermanate polycrystals are studied. The magnetization is found to depend on the magnetic prehistory of a Ba₂Fe₂GeO₇ sample below T = 8 K. Analysis of the neutron scattering spectra does not reveal long-range magnetic order down to 2 K. Our experimental data indicate the existence of a spin glass state in Ba₂Fe₂GeO₇ polycrystals.