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At least 217 records · Page 12

Crystal field splittings and magnetic ground state of the square-lattice antiferromagnets YbBi 2 ⁢ClO 4 and YbBi 2 ⁢IO 4 with J eff = $\frac{1}{2}$

Here, we report on the crystal field level splitting and magnetic ground state of the J eff = $\frac{1}{2}$ square lattice antiferromagnets YbBi 2 ⁢ClO 4 and YbBi 2 ⁢IO 4 using powder inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and neutron diffraction measurements. Both compounds exhibit a well-isolated Γ 7 doublet ground state under a tetragonal crystal field environment, confirming a robust J eff = $\frac{1}{2}$ picture with slight XY-type anisotropic character in the g-tensor. Notably, the ground state wave functions closely resemble the Γ 7 doublet expected in the perfect cubic limit, consistent with the nearly cubic ligand configuration of eight O 2- ions surrounding Yb 3+ . Below T N = 0.21 K, YbBi 2 ⁢IO 4 exhibits a stripe long-range magnetic order characterized by an ordering wave vector q m = (1/2, 0, 0) or its symmetry-equivalent (0, 1/2, 0), with magnetic moments aligned along q m . The ordered moment is approximately 79% of the classical prediction, significantly larger than expected from the isotropic J 1 -J 2 model, suggesting the possible involvement of exchange anisotropy in explaining this observation. We show that symmetry-allowed XXZ and bond-dependent anisotropic exchange terms in a square lattice can play a critical role in stabilizing the stripe order and suppressing the moment reduction as observed. These findings establish YbBi 2 ⁢ClO 4 and YbBi 2 ⁢IO 4 as unique platforms for exploring rich J eff = $\frac{1}{2}$ magnetism from two less investigated perspectives: (i) on a square lattice and (ii) within a (nearly) cubic ligand environment.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Neutron thermalization in nuclear graphite: A modern story of a classic moderator

Graphite has been of great interest since the dawn of the nuclear era. In this work, we will focus on the thermal neutron scattering of two types of nuclear graphite that have different microstructures, namely, the historic PGA which has a very anisotropic medium-grained needle coke, and the new G347A which is a near-isotropic fine-grained graphite. We report the results of room temperature inelastic neutron scattering measurements for the scattering function, double differential scattering cross-section, and phonon density of states. The obtained results are discussed in conjunction with results extracted from first-principles lattice dynamics simulations of crystalline graphite, using the incoherent approximation and by also including the coherent-one phonon contribution. Excellent agreements have been found between the measured and calculated scattering functions and phonon densities of states. The inclusion of the coherent-one phonon scattering shows a significant improvement of the calculated scattering functions, double differentials, and inelastic scattering cross-sections. We also highlight the physical concerns about the current thermal neutron scattering ENDF/B-VIII of nuclear graphite library and its corresponding phonon density of states. This work aims to provide a new presentation of neutron thermalization by graphite and offers a new set of high quality experimental and computational data for consideration.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Structure and spectroscopy of graphite monofluoride

The structure of graphite monofluoride, (CF) n , has been debated since its discovery in 1934. In this work, we investigate a commercial graphite monofluoride by vibrational spectroscopy (infrared, Raman and the first inelastic neutron scattering spectra of this material). The spectroscopy shows that the material contains unreacted graphite and the partially fluorinated product dicarbon fluoride, (C 2 F) n , We evaluate the previously proposed $P\bar{6}m2$ and $P\bar{3}m1$ structures using computational methods and find F···F contacts render the $P\bar{6}m2$ structure dynamically unstable. We propose two alternative structures, $Cmc2_1$ $P6_3mc$, generated by displacement of one layer relative to another and find that $Cmc2_1$ is also dynamically unstable. The calculations are validated by comparison of calculated and observed INS spectra

Density functional theory↗

Kohn anomalies and phonon anharmonicity in iridium

Elemental iridium presents surprising challenges for both inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and theoretical thermal transport calculations due to its high neutron absorption cross-section and strong electron-phonon interactions, respectively. Here, in this study, we overcome these challenges to measure temperature-dependent phonon dispersion curves, compare these with calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), and ultimately examine the electron-phonon limited transport behaviors of this material. Our DFT calculations demonstrate Kohn anomalies, near the 𝐾 point of the iridium Brillouin zone, indicating coupling between electrons and phonons. Strong electron-phonon coupling can compete with anharmonic effects to determine electrical and thermal transport behaviors and make the Kohn anomalies challenging to observe. Nonetheless, our INS measurements map these anomalies and other dispersion features over the Brillouin zone from 100 to 700 K. These measurements also uncover unexpectedly large mode specific Grüneisen parameters obtained from the temperature-dependent phonon energies, highlighting strong anharmonicity in iridium. DFT-based Boltzmann transport calculations demonstrate how anharmonicity and electron-phonon couplings determine electronic and lattice transport behaviors. Furthermore, we correlate the Kohn anomalies with calculated electron-phonon nesting functions, Fermi surfaces, and DFT-derived coupling strengths. This study provides detailed insights into the temperature-dependent mode-resolved lattice dynamics and anharmonicity, transport behavior, and electron-phonon interactions.

DFT↗

Generation of the Thermal Scattering Law of Uranium Dioxide with Ab Initio Lattice Dynamics to Capture Crystal Binding Effects on Neutron Interactions

Scattering of thermal neutrons and Doppler broadening of epithermal neutron resonances in uranium and its compounds may be sensitive to crystal binding. The thermal scattering law (TSL) for uranium dioxide, which captures crystal binding effects, has been reevaluated for ENDF/B-VIII.0. Phonon spectra were generated using ab initio lattice dynamics for the paramagnetic phase and validated against experiment. Improved agreement with the Debye-Waller coefficient as a function of temperature is found relative to the spectrum used for the ENDF/B-VII.1 evaluation. The TSL was generated using the phonon expansion method within the NJOY nuclear data processing package and was found to be in reasonable agreement with inelastic neutron scattering measurements. The present evaluation predicts a reduction in the inelastic scattering cross section relative to ENDF/B-VII.1 and a total scattering cross section consistent with neutron transmission experiments

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Distinct effect of Kondo physics on crystal field splitting in electron and spin spectroscopies

Magnetic anisotropy is a key feature of rare earth materials from permanent magnets to heavy fermions. Here we explore the complex interplay of Kondo physics and anisotropy, and their effect on different experimental probes of magnetic anisotropy in a minimal 𝐽=3/2 Anderson impurity model using the numerical renormalization group. While anisotropy suppresses Kondo screening, virtual valence fluctuations enhance the anisotropy. We find distinct renormalization of the magnetic anisotropy measured via dynamical spin response (inelastic neutron scattering) versus electronic excitations in the impurity spectral function (resonant inelastic x-ray and scanning tunneling spectroscopy). The two measurement types have different responses and dependencies on the temperature and Kondo scales.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Cation Dynamics in Hybrid Halide Perovskites

Hybrid halide perovskite semiconductors exhibit complex, dynamical disorder while also harboring properties ideal for optoelectronic applications that include photovoltaics. However, these materials are structurally and compositionally distinct from traditional compound semiconductors composed of tetrahedrally coordinated elements with an average valence electron count of silicon. The additional dynamic degrees of freedom of hybrid halide perovskites underlie many of their potentially transformative physical properties. Neutron scattering and spectroscopy studies of the atomic dynamics of these materials have yielded significant insights into their functional properties. Specifically, inelastic neutron scattering has been used to elucidate the phonon band structure, and quasi-elastic neutron scattering has revealed the nature of the uncorrelated dynamics pertaining to molecular reorientations. Understanding the dynamics of these complex semiconductors has elucidated the temperature-dependent phase stability and origins of defect-tolerant electronic transport from the highly polarizable dielectric response. Furthermore, the dynamic degrees of freedom of the hybrid perovskites provide additional opportunities for application engineering and innovation.

Materials Science↗

C 12 ( n , n 1 ′ γ ) partial γ -ray cross section measured using the GENESIS array

Improved neutron inelastic scattering cross sections have repeatedly been identified as a top priority nuclear data need, important for basic science and a range of applications in nuclear energy, stockpile stewardship, and proliferation detection. For the C 12 ( n , n ′ γ ) reaction in particular, recent measurements have unveiled some structural discrepancies, demonstrating incongruities among themselves and in relation to the ENDF/B-VIII.0 nuclear data evaluation. To help resolve these disagreements, a measurement was performed at the 88-Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory using a broad-spectrum neutron beam and a 99.8% pure natural carbon target. The Gamma Energy Neutron Energy Spectrometer for Inelastic Scattering (GENESIS) was employed to measure energy-differential γ -ray emission spectra as a function of incident neutron energy in the energy range of 5.5 to 16.7 MeV. The C 12 partial γ -ray cross sections were extracted at 63 ∘ , 122 . 5 ∘ , and 150 ∘ with respect to the incoming neutron beam and integrated using angular distribution data available in the literature. The data show agreement with a recent literature measurement and evaluation from 11 to 15 MeV, but indicate a larger cross section for incident neutron energies between 5.5 and 8.5 MeV. The measured relative angular distributions are also reported and were found to agree with evaluation. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Gordon, J. M. (ORCID:0009000789886897)↗

Phonon Spectroscopy in Antimony and Tellurium Oxides

α-Sb 2 O 3 (senarmontite), β-Sb 2 O 3 (valentinite), and α-TeO 2 (paratellurite) are compounds with pronounced stereochemically active Sb and Te lone pairs. The vibrational and lattice properties of each have been previously studied but often lead to incomplete or unreliable results due to modes being inactive in infrared or Raman spectroscopy. Here in this paper, we present a study of the relationship between bonding and lattice dynamics of these compounds. Mössbauer spectroscopy is used to study the structure of Sb in α-Sb 2 O 3 and β-Sb 2 O 3 , whereas the vibrational modes of Sb and Te for each oxide are investigated using nuclear inelastic scattering, and further information on O vibrational modes is obtained using inelastic neutron scattering. Additionally, vibrational frequencies obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations are compared with experimental results in order to assess the validity of the utilized functional. Good agreement was found between DFT-calculated and experimental density of phonon states with a 7% scaling factor. The Sb–O–Sb wagging mode of α-Sb 2 O 3 whose frequency was not clear in most previous studies is experimentally observed for the first time at ~340 cm -1 . Softer lattice vibrational modes occur in orthorhombic β-Sb 2 O 3 compared to cubic α-Sb 2 O 3 , indicating that the antimony bonds are weakened upon transforming from the molecular α phase to the layer-chained β structure. The resulting vibrational entropy increase of 0.45 ± 0.1 kB/Sb 2 O 3 at 880 K accounts for about half of the α–β transition entropy. The comparison of experimental and theoretical approaches presented here provides a detailed picture of the lattice dynamics in these oxides beyond the zone center and shows that the accuracy of DFT is sufficient for future calculations of similar material structures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Neutron scattering study of magnetic anisotropy in the tetragonal antiferromagnet Bi 2 CuO 4

In this work, we present a comprehensive study of magnon excitations in the tetragonal easy-plane antiferromagnet Bi 2 CuO 4 using inelastic neutron scattering and spin-wave analyses. The nature of low-energy magnons, and hence the anisotropy in this material, has been controversial. We show unambiguously that the low-energy magnon spectrum consists of a gapped and a gapless mode, which we attribute to out-of-plane and in-plane spin fluctuations, respectively. We modeled the observed magnon spectrum using linear spin-wave analysis of a minimal anisotropic spin model motivated by the lattice symmetry. By studying the magnetic field dependence of the (1,0,0) Bragg peak intensity and the in-plane magnon intensity, we observed a spin-flop transition in the ab plane at ~0.4 T, which directly indicates the existence of a small in-plane anisotropy that is classically forbidden. It is only by taking into account magnon zero-point fluctuations beyond the linear spin-wave approximation that we could explain this in-plane anisotropy and its magnitude, the latter of which is deduced from the critical field of the spin-flop transition. The microscopic origins of the observed anisotropic interactions are also discussed. We found that our data are inconsistent with a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, which suggests a potential departure of Bi 2 CuO 4 from the conventional theories of magnetic anisotropy for other cuprates.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Noncoplanar ferrimagnetism and local crystalline-electric-field anisotropy in the quasicrystal approximant Au 70 Si 17 Tb 13

Neutron scattering experiments have been performed to elucidate magnetic properties of the quasicrystal approximant Au 70 Si 17 Tb 13 , consisting of icosahedral spin clusters in a body-centered-cubic lattice. Bulk magnetic measurements performed on the single crystalline sample unambiguously confirm long-range ordering at T C = 11.6 ± 1 K. In contrast to the simple ferromagnetic response in the bulk measurements, single crystal neutron diffraction confirms a formation of intriguing non-collinear and non-coplanar magnetic order. The magnetic moment direction was found to be nearly tangential to the icosahedral cluster surface in the local mirror plane, which is quite similar to that recently found in the antiferromagnetic quasicrystal approximant Au 72 Al 14 Tb 14 . Inelastic neutron scattering on the powdered sample exhibits a very broad peak centered at hω ≃ 4 meV. The observed inelastic spectrum was explained by the crystalline-electric-field model taking account of the chemical disorder at the fractional Au/Si sites. The resulting averaged anisotropy axis for the crystalline-electric-field ground state is consistent with the ordered moment direction determined in the magnetic structure analysis, confirming that the non-coplanar magnetic order is stabilized by the local uniaxial anisotropy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Ultralow thermal conductivity from transverse acoustic phonon suppression in distorted crystalline α-MgAgSb

Low thermal conductivity is favorable for preserving the temperature gradient between the two ends of a thermoelectric material, in order to ensure continuous electron current generation. In high-performance thermoelectric materials, there are two main low thermal conductivity mechanisms: the phonon anharmonic in PbTe and SnSe, and phonon scattering resulting from the dynamic disorder in AgCrSe2 and CuCrSe2, which have been successfully revealed by inelastic neutron scattering. Using neutron scattering and ab initio calculations, we report here a mechanism of static local structure distortion combined with phononanharmonic-induced ultralow lattice thermal conductivity in α-MgAgSb. Since the transverse acoustic phonons are almost fully scattered by the compound’s intrinsic distorted rocksalt sublattice, the heat is mainly transported by the longitudinal acoustic phonons. The ultralow thermal conductivity in α-MgAgSb is attributed to its atomic dynamics being altered by the structure distortion, which presents a possible microscopic route to enhance the performance of similar thermoelectric materials.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Unraveling higher-order contributions to spin excitations probed using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is an evolving tool for investigating the spin dynamics of strongly correlated materials, which complements inelastic neutron scattering. In isotropic spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg antiferromagnetic (HAFM) spin chains, both techniques have observed non-spin-conserving (NSC) excitations confined to the two-spinon phase space. However, a recent O K-edge RIXS study of the one-dimensional HAFM Sr 2 CuO 3 observed spin-conserving (SC) four-spinon excitations outside the two-spinon phase space. Here, we demonstrate that analogous four-spinon excitations can also be accessed at the Cu L 3 edge in the related material SrCuO 2 . Through detailed modeling, we establish that these excitations appear in both the SC and NSC channels of the Cu L 3 edge, and are only captured by higher-order terms in the ultrashort core-hole lifetime expansion. Finally, since these terms encode information about spin-spin correlations extending beyond nearest neighbors, our results offer different possibilities for studying nonlocal spin correlations in quantum magnets.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Single-Crystal Diffuse Neutron Scattering Study of the Dipole-Octupole Quantum Spin-Ice Candidate Ce 2⁢ Zr 2 ⁢O 7 : No Apparent Octupolar Correlations Above 𝑇 = 0.05 K

The insulating magnetic pyrochlore Ce 2 ⁢Zr 2 ⁢O 7 has gained attention as a quantum spin-ice candidate with dipole-octupole character that arises from the crystal-electric-field ground-state doublet for the Ce 3+ Kramers ion. This dipole-octupole character permits both spin-ice phases based on magnetic dipoles and those based on more-exotic octupoles. This work reports low-temperature neutron diffraction measurements on single-crystal Ce 2 ⁢Zr 2⁢ O 7 with 𝑄 coverage both at low 𝑄, where the magnetic form factor for dipoles is near maximal, and at high 𝑄, covering the region where the magnetic form factor for Ce 3+ octupoles is near maximal. This study was motivated by recent powder neutron diffraction studies of other Ce-based dipole-octupole pyrochlores, Ce 2 ⁢Sn 2 ⁢O 7 and Ce 2 ⁢Hf 2 ⁢O 7 , which each showed temperature-dependent diffuse diffraction at high 𝑄, interpreted as arising from octupolar correlations. Our measurements use an optimized single-crystal diffuse scattering instrument that allows us to screen against strong Bragg scattering from Ce 2 ⁢Zr 2 ⁢O 7 . The temperature-difference neutron diffraction reveals a low-𝑄 peak consistent with dipolar spin-ice correlations reported in previous work, and an alternation between positive and negative net intensity at higher 𝑄. These features are consistent with our numerical-linked-cluster calculations using pseudospin interaction parameters previously reported for Ce 2 ⁢Zr 2⁢ O 7 , Ce 2 ⁢Sn 2 ⁢O 7 , and Ce 2 ⁢Hf 2 ⁢O 7 . Importantly, neither the measured data nor any of the NLC calculations show evidence for increased scattering at high 𝑄 resulting from octupolar correlations. We conclude that at the lowest attainable temperature for our measurements (𝑇 = 0.05 K), scattering from octupolar correlations in Ce 2 ⁢Zr 2 ⁢O 7 is not present in the neutron diffraction signal on the level of our observation threshold of around 0.1% of the low-𝑄 dipole scattering. We compare these results to those obtained earlier on powder Ce 2 ⁢Sn 2 ⁢O 7 and Ce 2⁢ Hf 2⁢ O 7 , and to low-energy inelastic neutron scattering from single-crystal Ce 2 ⁢Zr 2 ⁢O 7 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Interacting spin and charge density waves in the kagome metal FeGe

Unveiling the interplay between spin density wave (SDW) and charge density wave (CDW) orders in correlated electron materials is important in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of their electronic, structural, and magnetic properties. Kagome lattice materials are interesting because their flat electronic bands, Dirac points, and Van Hove singularities can enable a variety of exotic electronic and magnetic phenomena. The kagome metal FeGe (the B35 phase), which exhibits a CDW order deep within an A-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase, was found to respond dramatically to postgrowth annealing—with the ability to tune the CDW repeatedly from long-range order to negligible order. Additionally, neutron scattering studies suggest that incommensurate magnetic peaks that onset at 𝑇 Canting = 𝑇 SDW ≈ 60 K in the system arise from a SDW order instead of the AFM double-cone structure. Here, in this study, we use inelastic neutron scattering to show that two distinct spin excitations exist below 𝑇 Canting corresponding to two coexisting magnetic orders in the system in both sets of annealed samples with and without CDW. While CDW order or negligible order can dramatically affect the onset temperature of 𝑇 Canting and elastic incommensurate magnetic scattering, its impact on low-energy spin fluctuations is more limited. In both samples, a pair of gapless incommensurate spin excitations arising from the SDW order wave vector coexist with gapped commensurate spin waves from the A-type AFM order across 𝑇 Canting . The low-energy spin excitations for both samples couple dynamically to the lattice through enhanced magnetic scattering intensity on cooling below 𝑇 CDW , regardless of the status of the static long-range CDW order. The incommensurate SDW order in the long-range CDW ordered sample also induces a tiny in-plane lattice distortion of the kagome lattice that is absent in the negligible CDW ordered sample, in a way that is different from the previously known SDW and CDW ordering materials.

charge density waves↗

High-resolution neutron time-of-flight measurements for light water at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Series of light water inelastic neutron scattering experiments have been made at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) covering temperatures ranging from 295 K to 600 K and pressures of 1 bar and 150 bar. The temperatures and pressures ranges correspond to that of pressurized light water reactors. The inelastic scattering measurements will help the development of light water thermal scattering kernels, also known as S (α,β) thermal scattering law (TSL), in a consistent fashion given the amount and the quality of the measured data. Light water thermal scattering evaluations available in existing nuclear data libraries have certain limitations and pitfalls. This paper introduces the state of the art of the light water thermal scattering cross-section data not only for room temperature but as well as for reactor operating temperatures, i.e. 550 - 600 K. During the past few years there has been a renewed interest in re-investigating the existing TSL models and utilize the recent experimental data or perform molecular dynamics simulations. It should be pointed out that no single TSL evaluation is based entirely on experimental data and one has to rely on TSL models or a combination of both. New TOF measurement of light water at the SNS, with a detailed description of the experimental setup, measurement conditions, and the associated foreseen results is presented in this paper. The analysis of the experimental data would help in validating the existing approach based on old experimental data or based on molecular dynamic simulations using classical water models, knowledge of which is very important to generate TSL libraries at reactor operating conditions.

Leal, Luiz C.↗

Neutron scattering and neural-network quantum molecular dynamics investigation of the vibrations of ammonia along the solid-to-liquid transition

Abstract Vibrational spectroscopy allows us to understand complex physical and chemical interactions of molecular crystals and liquids such as ammonia, which has recently emerged as a strong hydrogen fuel candidate to support a sustainable society. We report inelastic neutron scattering measurement of vibrational properties of ammonia along the solid-to-liquid phase transition with high enough resolution for direct comparisons to ab-initio simulations. Theoretical analysis reveals the essential role of nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) for correctly describing the intermolecular spectrum as well as high energy intramolecular N-H stretching modes. This is achieved by training neural network models using ab-initio path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations, thereby encompassing large spatiotemporal trajectories required to resolve low energy dynamics while retaining NQEs. Our results not only establish the role of NQEs in ammonia but also provide general computational frameworks to study complex molecular systems with NQEs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spin wave Hamiltonian and anomalous scattering in NiPS 3

Here, we report a comprehensive spin wave analysis of the semiconducting honeycomb van der Waal antiferromagnet NiPS 3 . Using single-crystal inelastic neutron scattering, we map out the full Brillouin zone and fit the observed modes to a spin wave model with rigorously defined uncertainty. We find that the third-nearest-neighbor exchange J 3 dominates the Hamiltonian, a feature which we fully account for by ab initio density functional theory calculations. We also quantify the degree to which the threefold rotation symmetry is broken and account for the Q = 0 excitations observed in other measurements, yielding a spin exchange model which is consistent across multiple experimental probes. We also identify a strongly reduced static ordered moment and reduced low-energy intensity relative to the linear spin wave calculations, signaling unexplained features in the magnetism which requires going beyond the linear spin wave approximation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗