Charge order in LuFe2O4: antiferroelectric ground state and coupling to magnetism
M. Angst, R. P. Hermann, A. D. Christianson, M. D. Lumsden, C. Lee, M. -H. Whangbo, J. -W. Kim, P. J. Ryan, S. E. Nagler, W. Tian, R. Jin, B. C. Sales, D. Mandrus
备注：
v2: added more details on representation analysis; edited for accessibility to general readership. PRL in print
X-ray scattering by multiferroic LuFe2O4 is reported. Below 320 K, superstructure reflections indicate an incommensurate charge order with propagation close to (1/3,1/3,3/2). The corresponding charge configuration, also found by electronic structure calculations as most stable, contains polar Fe/O double-layers with antiferroelectric stacking. Diffuse scattering at 360 K, with (1/3,1/3,0) propagation, indicates ferroelectric short-range correlations between neighboring double-layers. The temperature dependence of the incommensuration indicates that charge order and magnetism are coupled.
The singlet ground state magnetism in pyrochlore osmates Y$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$ and Ho$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$ is studied by DC and AC susceptibility, specific heat, and neutron powder diffraction measurements. Despite the expected non-magnetic singlet in the strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) limit for Os$^{4+}$ ($5d^4$), Y$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$ exhibits a spin-glass (SG) ground state below 4 K with weak magnetism, suggesting possible proximity to a quantum phase transition between the non-magnetic state in the strong SOC limit and the magnetic state in the strong superexchange limit. Ho$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$ has the same …
Predicting magnetism originating from 2$p$ orbitals is a delicate problem, which depends on the subtle interplay between covalency and Hund's coupling. Calculations based on density functional theory and the local spin density approximation fail in two remarkably different ways. On the one hand the excessive delocalization of spin-polarized holes leads to half-metallic ground states and the expectation of room temperature ferromagnetism. On the other hand, in some cases a magnetic ground state may not be predicted at all. We demonstrate that a simple self-interaction correction scheme modifies…
A systematic first-principles study has been performed to understand the magnetism of thin film SrRuO$_3$ which lots of research efforts have been devoted to but no clear consensus has been reached about its ground state properties. The relative t$_{2g}$ level difference, lattice distortion as well as the layer thickness play together in determining the spin order. In particular, it is important to understand the difference between two standard approximations, namely LDA and GGA, in describing this metallic magnetism. Landau free energy analysis and the magnetization-energy-ratio plot clearly …
Combining LSDA+$U$ and an analysis of superexchange interactions beyond DFT, we describe the magnetic ground states in rutile and anatase Cr-doped TiO$_2$. In parallel, we correct our LSDA+$U$ ground state through GW corrections ($GW$@LSDA+$U$) that reproduce the position of impurity states and the band gaps in satisfying agreement with experiments. Because of the different topological coordinations of Cr-Cr bonds in the ground states of rutile and anatase, superexchange interactions induce either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic couplings of Cr ions. In Cr-doped anatase, this interaction le…
We discuss the ground state magnetic phase diagram of the Hubbard model off half filling within the dynamical mean-field theory. The effective single-impurity Anderson model is solved by Wilson's numerical renormalization group calculations, adapted to symmetry broken phases. We find a phase separated, antiferromagnetic state up to a critical doping for small and intermediate values of U, but could not stabilise a Neel state for large U and finite doping. At very large U, the phase diagram exhibits an island with a ferromagnetic ground state. Spectral properties in the ordered phases are discu…
Single crystals of Sr3NaIrO6 and Sr3AgIrO6 have been successfully grown using hydroxides flux. Sr3NaIrO6 and Sr3AgIrO6 crystallize in the K4CdCl6-type structure with the space group R-3c (No.167). Sr3NaIrO6 and Sr3AgIrO6 are electrically insulating with estimated activation gaps of 0.68 eV and 0.80 eV, respectively. Sr3NaIrO6 and Sr3AgIrO6 show paramagnetic behavior down to 2 K.
We have calculated the discrete low-energy electronic structure in LaMnO3 originating from the atomic-like states of the strongly correlated 3d4 electronic system occurring in the Mn3+ ion. We take into account very strong intra-atomic correlations, crystal field interactions and the intra-atomic spin-orbit coupling. We calculated magnetic and paramagnetic state of LaMnO3 within the consistent description given by Quantum Atomistic Solid State Theory (QUASST). Our studies indicate that the intra-atomic spin-orbit coupling and the orbital magnetism are indispensable for the physically adequate …
We investigate the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of the solid solution of Ce$_{1-x}$Pr$_{x}$AlGe. The series tunes from CeAlGe with its multi-$\vec{k}$ structure and a major Moment in the ab-plane, to PrAlGe with an easy-c-axis ferromagnetic ground state co-existing with a low density of nanoscale textured magnetic Domain walls. Using AC-, DC-susceptiblity, resistivity, specific heat, muon spin relaxation/rotation and neutron scattering we analyze the magnetic ground state of the series. We provide further evidence supporting our previous claim for spin-glass like properties …
Anyonic excitations emerging from a Kitaev spin liquid can form a basis for quantum computers. Searching for such excitations motivated intense research on the honeycomb iridate materials. However, access to a spin liquid ground state has been hindered by magnetic ordering. Cu2IrO3 is a new honeycomb iridate without thermodynamic signatures of a long-range order. Here, we use muon spin relaxation to uncover the magnetic ground state of Cu2IrO3. We find a two-component depolarization with slow and fast relaxation rates corresponding to distinct regions with dynamic and static magnetism, respect…
Recent discovery of various magnetism in Tsai-type quasicrystalline approximants, in whose alloys rare-earth ions located on icosahedral apices are coupled with each other via the Ruderman--Kittel--Kasuya--Yosida interaction, opens an avenue to find novel magnetism originating from the icosahedral symmetry. Here we investigate classical and quantum magnetic states on an icosahedral cluster within the Heisenberg interactions of all bonds. Simulated annealing and numerical diagonalization are performed to obtain the classical and quantum ground states. We obtain qualitative correspondence of cla…
Using a combination of low-temperature nanocalorimetry and x-ray diffraction we identify three temperature regimes characterized by distinct Na ordering patterns (low temperature up to 290 K, intermediate 290-340 K, and high above 340 K). Through freezing-in of these patterns we establish the two key roles sodium intercalation plays in the formation of the magnetic ground state: supplying the proper electron count for in-plane ferromagnetic interaction and through the 3D sodium ordering providing the interplane antiferromagnetic exchange path.
We point out the emergence of magnetism from the interplay of electron quasi-itinerancy and quantum order by disorder in pyrochlore iridates. Like other Mott insulating iridates, the Ir$^{4+}$ ion in pyrochlore iridates develops an effective ${J=1/2}$ moment from the on-site spin-orbit coupling. We consider the generic symmetry-allowed exchange between these local moments on a pyrochlore lattice and obtain the mean-field phase diagram. Assuming the superexchange is mediated by direct and/or indirect electron hopping via intermediate oxygens, we derive the exchange interactions in the strong co…
We present a microscopic theory that shows the importance of spin-orbit coupling in perovskite compounds with heavy ions. In BiFeO3 (BFO) the spin-orbit coupling at the bismuth ion sites results in a special kind of magnetic anisotropy that is linear in the applied E-field. This interaction can convert the cycloid ground state into a homogeneous antiferromagnet, with a weak ferromagnetic moment whose orientation can be controlled by the E-field direction. Remarkably, the E-field control of magnetism occurs without poling the ferroelectric moment, providing a pathway for reduced energy dissipat…
We report the effects of Al-doping on the structure and magnetic properties in CaBa(Co$_{1-x}$Al$_{x}$)$_4$O$_7$ (0$\leq$x$\leq$0.25). The system exhibits a structural transition from an orthorhombic symmetry to a hexagonal symmetry when the Al content exceeds $x =$ 0.1. The Curie temperature and the value of the magnetization decrease with increasing Al doping level, indicating that the ferrimagnetic ground state is gradually suppressed. The ground state eventually transits into a spin-glass state for $x >$ 0.1. Moreover, the short-range magnetic correlations, which occur at high temperatures…
We study the magnetism of the hole doped CuO2 spin chains in Sr14Cu24O41 by measuring the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and the static magnetization M in applied magnetic fields up to 14 T. In this compound, the dimerized ground state and the charge order in the chains are well established. Our experimental data suggest that at low temperatures the Curie-like increase of M as well as the occurrence of the related ESR signal are due to a small amount of paramagnetic centers which are not extrinsic defects but rather unpaired Cu spins in the chain. These observations qualitatively confirm recent…
Neutron scattering studies on powder and single crystals have provided new evidences for unconventional magnetism in Cu2Te2O5Cl2. The compound is built from tetrahedral clusters of S=1/2 Cu2+ spins located on a tetragonal lattice. Magnetic ordering, emerging at TN=18.2 K, leads to a very complex multi-domain, most likely degenerate, ground state, which is characterized by an incommensurate (ICM) wave vector k ~ [0.15, 0.42,1/2]. The Cu2+ ions carry a magnetic moment of 0.67(1) mB/ Cu2+ at 1.5 K and form a four helices spin arrangement with two canted pairs within the tetrahedra. A domain redis…
Based on density functional calculations, we report on the orbital order and microscopic magnetic model of FeNCN, a prototype compound for orbital-only models. Despite having a similar energy scale, the spin and orbital degrees of freedom in FeNCN are only weakly coupled. The ground-state configuration features the doubly occupied d_{3z^2-r^2} (a1g) orbital and four singly-occupied d orbitals resulting in the spin S=2 on the Fe+2 atoms, whereas alternative (Eg') configurations are about 75 meV/f.u. higher in energy. Calculated exchange couplings and band gap are in good agreement with the avai…
Based on first-principles calculations, the evolution of the electronic and magnetic properties of transition metal dihalides MX$_2$ (M= V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni; X = Cl, Br, I) is analyzed from the bulk to the monolayer limit. A variety of magnetic ground states is obtained as a result of the competition between direct exchange and superexchange. The results predict that FeX$_2$, NiX$_2$, CoCl$_2$ and CoBr$_2$ monolayers are ferromagnetic insulators with sizable magnetocrystalline anisotropies. This makes them ideal candidates for robust ferromagnetism at the single layer level. Our results also hig…
The ytterbium pyrochlore magnets, Yb2B2O7 (B = Sn, Ti, Ge) are well described by S_eff = 1/2 quantum spins decorating a network of corner-sharing tetrahedra and interacting via anisotropic exchange. Structurally, only the non-magnetic B-site cation, and hence, primarily the lattice parameter, is changing across the series. Nonetheless, a range of magnetic behaviors are observed: the low temperature magnetism in Yb2Ti2O7 and Yb2Sn2O7 has ferromagnetic character, while Yb2Ge2O7 displays an antiferromagnetically ordered Neel state at low temperatures. While the static properties of the ytterbium …
We study Mott insulators of fermionic alkaline earth atoms, described by Heisenberg spin models with enhanced SU(N) symmetry. In dramatic contrast to SU(2) magnetism, more than two spins are required to form a singlet. On the square lattice, the classical ground state is highly degenerate and magnetic order is thus unlikely. In a large-N limit, we find a chiral spin liquid ground state with topological order and Abelian fractional statistics. We discuss its experimental detection. Chiral spin liquids with non-Abelian anyons may also be realizable with alkaline earth atoms.
Motivated by the experimental realization of quantum spin models of polar molecule KRb in optical lattices, we analyze the spin 1/2 dipolar Heisenberg model with competing anisotropic, long-range exchange interactions. We show that, by tilting the orientation of dipoles using an external electric field, the dipolar spin system on square lattice comes close to a maximally frustrated region similar, but not identical, to that of the $J_1$-$J_2$ model. This provides a simple yet powerful route to potentially realize a quantum spin liquid without the need for a triangular or kagome lattice. The gr…
Investigation of elementary excitations has advanced our understanding of many-body physics governing most physical properties of matter. Recently spin-orbit excitons have drawn much attention, whose condensates near phase transitions exhibit Higgs mode oscillations, a long-sought physical phenomenon [Nat. Phys. {\bf 13}, 633 (2017)]. These critical transition points resulting from competing spin-orbit coupling (SOC), local crystalline symmetry and exchange interactions, are not obvious in Iridium based materials, where SOC prevails in general. Here, we present results of resonant inelastic x-…
The magnetic and electronic properties of Ba$_4$Ru$_3$O$_{10}$ were investigated by the ab-initio and model calculations. It is shown that nonmagnetic ground state of the one-third Ru$^{4+}$ ions is not due to the correlation effects. It is rather caused by the charge disproportionation between crystallographically different Ru and the molecular orbital formation in the Ru's trimer.
We document the coexistence of ferro- and anti-ferromagnetism in pyrochlore $\rm Yb_2Ti_2O_7$ using three neutron scattering techniques on stoichiometric crystals: elastic neutron scattering shows a canted ferromagnetic ground state, neutron scattering shows spin wave excitations from both a ferro-and an antiferro-magnetic state, and field and temperature dependent small angle neutron scattering reveals the corresponding anisotropic magnetic domain structure. High-field $\langle 111 \rangle$ spin wave fits show that $\rm Yb_2Ti_2O_7$ is extremely close to an antiferromagnetic phase boundary. C…
We carry out \textit{ab initio} study of ground state phase diagram of spin-1/2 cold fermionic atoms within two-fold degenerate $p$-band of an anisotropic optical lattice. Using the Gutzwiller variational approach, we show that a robust ferromagnetic phase exists for a vast range of band fillings and interacting strengths. The ground state crosses over from spin density wave state to spin-1 Neel state at half filling. Additional harmonic trap will induce spatial separation of varies phases. We also discuss several relevant observable consequences and detection methods. Experimental test of the…
We present a one dimensional model of electrons coupled to localized moments of spin $S\ge 1$ in which magnetism and superconductivity interplay in a nontrivial manner. This model has a non-Fermi liquid ground state of the chiral spin liquid type. A non-conventional odd-frequency pairing is shown to be the dominant instability of the system, together with antiferromagnetism of the local moments. We argue that this model captures the physics of the Kondo-Heisenberg spin S=1 chain, in the limit of strong Kondo coupling. Finally, we discuss briefly the effect of interchain coupling.
We analyze the competition of magnetism and superconductivity in the two-dimensional Hubbard model with a moderate interaction strength, including the possibility of incommensurate spiral magnetic order. Using an unbiased renormalization group approach, we compute magnetic and superconducting order parameters in the ground state. In addition to previously established regions of Neel order coexisting with d-wave superconductivity, the calculations reveal further coexistence regions where superconductivity is accompanied by incommensurate magnetic order.
We report electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy results on the double perovskite Ba$_2$YIrO$_6$. On general grounds, this material is expected to be nonmagnetic due to the strong coupling of the spin and orbital momenta of Ir$^{5+}$ (5$d^4$) ions. However, controversial experimental reports on either strong antiferromagnetism with static order at low temperatures or just a weakly paramagnetic behavior have triggered a discussion on the breakdown of the generally accepted scenario of the strongly spin-orbit coupled ground states in the 5$d^4$ iridates and the emergence of a novel exotic ma…
The magnetism of ordered and disordered La$_2$NiMnO$_6$ is explained using a model involving double exchange and superexchange. The concept of majority spin hybridization in the large coupling limit is used to explain the ferromagnetism of La$_2$NiMnO$_6$ as compared to the ferrimagnetism of Sr$_{2}$FeMoO$_{6}$. The ferromagnetic insulating ground state in the ordered phase is explained. The essential role played by the Ni-Mn superexchange between the Ni $e_{g}$ electron spins and the Mn $t_{2g}$ core electron spins in realizing this ground state, is outlined. In presence of antisite disorder,…
Molecular based spin-1/2 triangular lattice systems such as LiZn$_2$Mo$_3$O$_8$ have attracted research interest. Distortions, defects, and intersite disorder are suppressed in such molecular-based magnets, and intrinsic geometrical frustration gives rise to unconventional and unexpected ground states. Li$_2$$A$Mo$_3$O$_8$ ($A$ = In or Sc) is such a compound where spin-1/2 Mo$_3$O$_{13}$ clusters in place of Mo ions form the uniform triangular lattice. Their ground states are different according to the $A$ site. Li$_2$InMo$_3$O$_8$ undergoes conventional $120^\circ$ long-range magnetic order b…
The electronic structure of selected rare-earth atoms adsorbed on a free-standing graphene was investigated using methods beyond the conventional density functional theory (DFT+U, DFT+HIA and DFT+ED). The influence of the electron correlations and the spin-orbit coupling on the magnetic properties has been examined. The DFT+U method predicts both atoms to carry local magnetic moments (spin and orbital) contrary to a nonmagnetic $f^6$ ($J=0$) ground-state configuration of Sm in the gas phase. Application of DFT${}+{}$Hubbard-I (HIA) and DFT${}+{}$exact diagonalization (ED) methods cures this pr…
In order to study an interplay of disorder, correlation, and spin imbalance on antiferromagnetism, we systematically explore the ground state of one-dimensional spin-imbalanced Anderson-Hubbard model by using the density-matrix renormalization group method. We find that disorders localize the antiferromagnetic spin density wave induced by imbalanced fermions and the increase of the disorder magnitude shrinks the areas of the localized antiferromagnetized regions. Moreover, the antiferromagnetism finally disappears above a large disorder. These behaviors are observable in atomic Fermi gases loa…
Using nuclear quadrupole resonance, the phase diagram of 1111 $R$FeAsO$_{1-x}$F$_x$ ($R$$=$La, Ce, Sm) iron pnictides is constructed as a function of the local charge distribution in the paramagnetic state, which features low-doping-like (LD-like) and high-doping-like (HD-like) regions. Compounds based on magnetic rare earths (Ce, Sm) display a unified behavior, and comparison with La-based compounds reveals the detrimental role of static iron $3d$ magnetism on superconductivity, as well as a qualitatively different evolution of the latter at high doping. It is found that the LD-like regions f…
The ground state properties of CeCoPO, a homologue of the new high temperature superconductors RFePnO1-xFx, were studied by means of susceptibility, specific heat, and resistivity measurements on polycrystals. The observation of a well defined Curie-Weiss behavior above 230K with mu_eff=2.9mu_B and a ferromagnetic ordering below T_C=75K is similar to what was observed in LaCoPO and points to magnetism of the Co-3d electrons. However, the Ce-ions are on the border to magnetism with a Kondo scale of T_K~40K and show an enhanced Sommerfeld-coefficient of γ~200mJ/molK^2.
The electronic structure and magnetism of LiFeO$_{2}$Fe$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ are investigated using the first-principle calculations. The ground state is N$\acute{e}$el antiferromagnetic (AFM) Mott insulating state for Fe1 with localized magnetism in LiFeO$_{2}$ layer and striped AFM metallic state for Fe2 with itinerant magnetism in Fe$_{2}$Se$_{2}$ layer, accompanied with a weak interlayer AFM coupling between Fe1 and Fe2 ions, resulting in a coexistence of localized and itinerant magnetism. Moreover, the layered LiFeO$_{2}$ is found to be more than an insulating block layer but responsible for enh…
The electronic structure and magnetism of Sr$_2$CeIrO$_6$, an Ir-based double perovskite system has been investigated using first-principles calculations. We found that a strong spin-orbit coupling dictate the electronic and magnetic properties of this system. A small value of $U$ along with SOC could open up a gap at the Fermi level, offering the possibility of novel J$_{eff}$ = 1/2 Mott quantum state. Our calculations reveal that the magnetic ground state is antiferromagnetic in agreement with the magnetization data and provide the value of spin and orbital moment for this system which is in…
Double-stripe magnetism $[\mathbf{Q}=(π/2, π/2)]$ has been proposed as the magnetic ground state for both the iron-telluride and BaTi$_2$Sb$_2$O families of superconductors. Double-stripe order is captured within a $J_1-J_2-J_3$ Heisenberg model in the regime $J_3 \gg J_2 \gg J_1$. Intriguingly, besides breaking spin-rotational symmetry, the ground state manifold has three additional Ising degrees of freedom associated with bond-ordering. Via their coupling to the lattice, they give rise to an orthorhombic distortion and to two non-uniform lattice distortions with wave-vector $(π, π)$. Because…
Our polycrystalline sample study on the Yb-based chalcogenide spinels $A$Yb$_2$$X_4$ ($A =$ Cd, Mg, $X =$ S, Se) has revealed frustrated magnetism due to the antiferromagnetically coupled Heisenberg spin on the pyrochlore lattice. Our crystal electric field analysis indicates the Yb ground state has nearly Heisenberg spins with a strong quantum character of the ground doublet. All the materials exhibit an antiferromagnetic order at 1.4-1.8 K, much lower temperature than the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling scale of $\sim 10$ K. The magnetic specific heat $C_{\rm M}$ shows a $T^{3}$ dependen…
We have studied the properties of the giant Keplerate molecular magnet Mo72Fe30, as a function of applied magnetic field, using the correlator product state (CPS) tensor network ansatz. The magnet is modeled with an S = 5/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg Hamiltonian on the 30-site icosidodecahedron lattice, a model for which exact diagonalization is infeasible. The CPS ansatz produces significant improvements in variational energies relative to previous studies using the density matrix renormalization group, a result of its superior ability to handle strong correlation in two dimensional spin sy…
We perform a comparative study of the KCr3As3 and the K2Cr3As3 quasi 1D compounds, and show that the strong interplay between the lattice and the spin degrees of freedom promotes a new collinear ferrimagnetic ground state within the chains in presence of intrachain antiferromagnetic couplings. We propose that the interchain antiferromagnetic coupling in KCr3As3 plays a crucial role for the experimentally observed spin-glass phase with low critical temperature. In the same region of the parameter space, we predict K2Cr3As3 to be non-magnetic but on the verge of the magnetism, sustaining interch…
We present an investigation of the influence of low-levels of chemical substitution on the magnetic ground state and N{\' e}el skyrmion lattice (SkL) state in GaV$_4$S$_{8-y}$Se$_y$, where $y =0, 0.1, 7.9$, and $8$. Muon-spin spectroscopy ($μ$SR) measurements on $y=0$ and 0.1 materials reveal the magnetic ground state consists of microscopically coexisting incommensurate cycloidal and ferromagnetic environments, while chemical substitution leads to the growth of localized regions of increased spin density. $μ$SR measurements of emergent low-frequency skyrmion dynamics show that the SkL exists …
The magnetic ground states of the isostructural double perovskites Ba$_2$NaOsO$_6$ and Ba$_2$LiOsO$_6$ are investigated with muon-spin rotation. In Ba$_2$NaOsO$_6$ long-range magnetic order is detected via the onset of a spontaneous muon-spin precession signal below $T_{\mathrm{c}}=7.2\pm 0.2\;\mathrm{K}$, while in Ba$_2$LiOsO$_6$ a static but spatially-disordered internal field is found below 8 K. A novel probabilistic argument is used to show from the observed precession frequencies that the magnetic ground state in Ba$_2$NaOsO$_6$ is most likely to be low-moment ($\approx 0.2$\,$μ_{\rm B}$)…
We synthesize and study single crystals of a new double-perovskite Sr2YIrO6. Despite two strongly unfavorable conditions for magnetic order, namely, pentavalent Ir5+(5d4) ions which are anticipated to have Jeff=0 singlet ground states in the strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) limit, and geometric frustration in a face centered cubic structure formed by the Ir5+ ions, we observe this iridate to undergo a novel magnetic transition at temperatures below 1.3 K. We provide compelling experimental and theoretical evidence that the origin of magnetism is in an unusual interplay between strong non-cubic…
We propose an explanation for the experiment by Schemm et al., Phys. Rev. B 91, 140506 (2015) where the polar Kerr effect (PKE), indicating time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking, was observed in the hidden-order (HO) phase of URu2Si2. The PKE signal on warmup was seen only if a training magnetic field was present on cool-down. Using a Ginzburg-Landau model for a complex order parameter, we show that the system can have a metastable ferromagnetic state producing the PKE, even if the HO ground state respects TRS. We predict that a strong reversed magnetic field should reset the PKE to zero.
We consider a class of one-dimensional compass models with antisymmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya exchange interaction in an external magnetic field. Based on the exact solution derived by means of Jordan-Wigner transformation, we study the excitation gap, spin correlations, ground-state degeneracy, and critical properties at phase transitions. The phase diagram at finite electric and magnetic field consists of three phases: ferromagnetic, canted antiferromagnetic, and chiral. Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction induces an electrical polarization in the ground state of the chiral phase, where the n…
Co substituted Ni$_{1-x}$Co$_x$Br$_2$ (0 $\leq~x~\leq$ 1) single crystals were synthesized using vapor transport. The physical properties of the crystals were characterized by x-ray powder diffraction, magnetization, and specific heat measurements. Room temperature x-ray powder diffraction data indicate a change from the CdCl$_2$ structure type to the CdI$_2$ structure type occurs within 0.56 $<~x~<$ 0.76. NiBr$_2$ has a commensurate antiferromagnetic phase below $T_{\rm N} \approx$ 46 K and an incommensurate magnetic ground state below $T_{\rm IC} \approx$ 20 K. Both magnetic transitions are …
We report a combined $^{115}$In NQR, $^{51}$V NMR and $μ$SR spectroscopic study of the low-temperature magnetic properties of InCu$_{2/3}$V$_{1/3}$O$_3$, a quasi-two dimensional (2D) compound comprising in the spin sector a honeycomb lattice of antiferromagnetically coupled spins $S=1/2$ associated with Cu$^{2+}$ ions. Despite substantial experimental and theoretical efforts, the ground state of this material was has not been ultimately identified. In particular, two characteristic temperatures of about $\sim 40$ K and $\sim 20$ K manifesting themselves as anomalies in different magnetic measu…
The magnetic ground state of an electron-doped cuprate superconductor Pr$_{1-x}$LaCe$_x$CuO$_{4+α-δ}$ ($x=0.11, α\simeq0.04$) has been studied by means of muon spin rotation/relaxation (\msr) over a wide variety of oxygen depletion, $0.03\leδ\le0.12$. Appearance of weak random magnetism over entire crystal volume has been revealed by a slow exponential relaxation. The absence of $δ$-dependence for the random magnetism and the multiplet pattern of muon Knight shift at higher fields strongly suggest that the random moments are associated with excited Pr$^{3+}$ ions under crystal electric field.
The mysterious pseudogap phase of cuprate superconductors ends at a critical hole doping level p* but the nature of the ground state below p* is still debated. Here, we show that the genuine nature of the magnetic ground state in La2-xSrxCuO4 is hidden by competing effects from superconductivity: applying intense magnetic fields to quench superconductivity, we uncover the presence of glassy antiferromagnetic order up to the pseudogap boundary p* ~ 0.19, and not above. There is thus a quantum phase transition at p*, which is likely to underlie highfield observations of a fundamental change in e…
