Spin-orbit coupling in the Mott insulator Ca(2)RuO(4)

O 1s x-ray absorption study of the Mott insulator Ca(2)RuO(4) shows that the orbital population of the 4d t(2g) band dramatically changes with temperature. In addition, spin-resolved circularly polarized photoemission study of Ca(2)RuO(4) shows that a substantial orbital angular momentum is induced in the Ru 4d t(2g) band. Based on the experimental results and model Hartree-Fock calculations, we argue that the cooperation between the strong spin-orbit coupling in the Ru 4d t(2g) band and the small distortion of the RuO(6) octahedra causes the interesting changeover of the spin and orbital anisotropy as a function of temperature.     

Transfer of spectral weight and symmetry across the metal-insulator transition in VO(2)

We present a detailed study of the valence and conduction bands of VO2 across the metal-insulator transition using bulk-sensitive photoelectron and O K x-ray absorption spectroscopies. We observe a giant transfer of spectral weight with distinct features that require an explanation which goes beyond the Peierls transition model as well as the standard single-band Hubbard model. Analysis of the symmetry and energies of the bands reveals the decisive role of the V 3d orbital degrees of freedom. Comparison to recent realistic many body calculations shows that much of the k dependence of the self-energy correction can be cast within a dimer model.     

Nature of magnetism in Ca3Co2O6

We find using local spin density approximation + Hubbard U band structure calculations that the novel one-dimensional cobaltate Ca3Co2O6 is not a ferromagnetic half-metal but a Mott insulator. Both the octahedral and the trigonal Co ions are formally trivalent, with the octahedral being in the low-spin and the trigonal in the high-spin state. The inclusion of the spin-orbit coupling leads to the occupation of the minority-spin d2 orbital for the unusually coordinated trigonal Co, producing a giant orbital moment (1.57 microB). It also results in an anomalously large magnetocrystalline anisotropy (of order 70 meV), elucidating why the magnetism is highly Ising-like. The role of the oxygen holes, carrying an induced magnetic moment of 0.13 microB per oxygen, for the exchange interactions is discussed.     

Structural transformation with "negative volume expansion": chemical bonding and physical behavior of TiGePt

The synthesis and a joint experimental and theoretical study of the crystal structure and physical properties of the new ternary intermetallic compound TiGePt are presented. Upon heating, TiGePt exhibits an unusual structural phase transition with a huge volume contraction of about 10?%. The transformation is characterized by a strong change in the physical properties, in particular, by an insulator-metal transition. At temperatures below 885?°C TiGePt crystallizes in the cubic MgAgAs (half-Heusler) type (LT phase, space group F43m, a = 5.9349(2)??). At elevated temperatures, the crystal structure of TiGePt transforms into the TiNiSi structure type (HT phase, space group Pnma, a = 6.38134(9)??, b = 3.89081(5)??, c = 7.5034(1)??). The reversible, temperature-dependent structural transition was investigated by in-situ neutron powder diffraction and dilatometry measurements. The insulator-metal transition, indicated by resistivity measurements, is in accord with band structure calculations yielding a gap of about 0.9?eV for the LT phase and a metallic HT phase. Detailed analysis of the chemical bonding in both modifications revealed an essential change of the Ti-Pt and Ti-Ge interactions as the origin of the dramatic changes in the physical properties.     

Orbital selection of the double [CuO_2] layer compound Ca_3Cu_2O_4Cl_2

正The discovery of high-temperature copper oxide superconductors(HTS)by Bednorz and Muller[1]in 1986 opened up a new field of superconductivity.Since then,several different families of materials have been discovered with greatly increased superconducting critical temperature(T_c)[2].Oxychloride cuprates,Ca_(n+1)Cu_nO_(2n)Cl_2,are one such type of     

Orbital selection of the double [CuO2] layer compound Ca3Cu2O4Cl2

We present a first-principles investigation on the dynamics and mechanism of the oxidation reaction between water molecules and the reduced PuO_2(110) surface using ab initio molecular dynamics(AIMD) simulations in combination with density functional theory(DFT) + U calculations. We find a dominating dissociation preference of water molecules for the vacancy defect sites on the PuO_2(110) surface, irrespective of the water or vacancy coverage. Due to hybridizations between the frontier orbitals of water molecule and the electronic states of the vacancy vicinity, partial water dissociation at the vacancy sites is exothermic and barrierless. The dissociation product, an OH group, further hydrogenates the PuO_2(110) surface by occupying the vacancy site.We also observe surface vacancy diffusion induced by the interactions between the water molecules and the surface oxygen atom in the proximity of the defect sites.     

Sr2MgOsO6: A Frustrated Os6+ (5d2) Double Perovskite with Strong Antiferromagnetic Interactions

The Os⁶⁺ (t_2g²) double perovskite Sr₂MgOsO₆ was prepared as polycrystalline material from the respective binary metal oxides. Sr₂MgOsO₆ crystallizes with the tetragonal space group I4/m. Magnetization and specific heat measurements show a broad anomaly near 100 K, but no well‐defined cusp. The magnetism is governed by strong antiferromagnetic interactions. Sr₂MgOsO₆ constitutes a new example for the peculiar, poorly understood magnetism of 5d² ions on a frustrated fcc lattice, where spin‐orbit coupling and orbital physics are expected to play an important role.