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At least 415 records · Page 23

Spin-phonon coupling in antiferromagnetic nickel oxide

We report the results of ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy of NiO, which allowed us to determine the spin-phonon coupling coefficients in this important antiferromagnetic material. The use of the second-order phonon scattering and ultraviolet laser excitation (λ = 325 nm) was essential for overcoming the problem of the optical selection rules and dominance of the two-magnon band in the visible Raman spectrum of NiO. We established that the spins of Ni atoms interact more strongly with the longitudinal than transverse optical phonons and produce opposite effects on the phonon energies. The peculiarities of the spin-phonon coupling are consistent with the trends given by density functional theory. Lastly, the obtained results shed light on the nature of the spin-phonon coupling in antiferromagnetic insulators and can help in developing spintronic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Strain control of the Néel vector in Mn-based antiferromagnets

Control of the Néel vector in antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials is one of the challenges preventing their use as active device components. Several methods have been investigated such as exchange bias, electric current, and spin injection, but little is known about strain-mediated anisotropy. This study of the AFM L1 0 -type MnX alloys MnIr, MnRh, MnNi, MnPd, and MnPt shows that a small amount of strain effectively rotates the direction of the Néel vector by 90° for all of the materials. For MnIr, MnRh, MnNi, and MnPd, the Néel vector rotates within the basal plane. For MnPt, the Néel vector rotates from out-of-plane to in-plane under tensile strain. The effectiveness of strain control is quantified by a metric of efficiency and by direct calculation of the magnetostriction coefficients. The values of the magnetostriction coefficients are comparable with those from ferromagnetic materials. Finally, these results indicate that strain is a mechanism that can be exploited for control of the Néel vectors in this family of antiferromagnets.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Driving a magnetized domain wall in an antiferromagnet by magnons

We theoretically study the interaction of magnons, quanta of spin waves, and a domain wall in a one-dimensional easy-axis antiferromagnet in the presence of an external magnetic field applied along the easy axis. To this end, we begin by obtaining the exact solution for spin waves in the background of a domain wall magnetized by an external field. The finite magnetization inside the domain wall is shown to give rise to reflection of magnons scattering off the domain wall, deviating from the well-known result of reflection-free magnons in the absence of a magnetic field. For practical applications of the predicted reflection of magnons, we show that the magnon reflection contributes to the thermally driven domain-wall motion. Our work leads us to envision that inducing a finite magnetization in antiferromagnetic solitons such as vortices and skyrmions can be used to engender phenomena that do not occur in the absence of magnetization.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

X-ray detection of ultrashort spin current pulses in synthetic antiferromagnets

Here, we explore the ultrafast generation of spin currents in magnetic multilayer samples by applying fs laser pulses to one layer and measuring the magnetic response in the other layer by element-resolved x-ray spectroscopy. In Ni(5 nm)/Ru(2 nm)/Fe(4 nm), the Ni and Fe magnetization directions couple antiferromagnetically due to the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction but may be oriented parallel through an applied magnetic field. After exciting the top Ni layer with a fs laser pulse, we also find that the Fe layer underneath demagnetizes, with a 4.1±1.9% amplitude difference between parallel and antiparallel orientation of the Ni and Fe magnetizations. We attribute this difference to the influence of a spin current generated by the fs laser pulse that transfers angular momentum from the Ni into the Fe layer. Our results confirm that superdiffusive spin transport plays a role in determining the sub-ps demagnetization dynamics of synthetic antiferromagnetic layers, but also evidence large depolarization effects due to hot electron dynamics, which are independent of the relative alignment of the magnetization in Ni and Fe.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High quality epitaxial thin films and exchange bias of antiferromagnetic Dirac semimetal FeSn

FeSn is a topological semimetal (TSM) and kagome antiferromagnet (AFM) composed of alternating Fe 3 Sn kagome planes and honeycomb Sn planes. This unique structure gives rise to exotic features in the band structures such as the coexistence of Dirac cones and flatbands near the Fermi level, fully spin-polarized 2D surface Dirac fermions, and the ability to open a large gap in the Dirac cone by reorienting the Néel vector. In this paper, we report the synthesis of high-quality epitaxial (0001) FeSn films by magnetron sputtering. Using FeSn/Py heterostructures, we show a large exchange bias effect that reaches an exchange field of 220 Oe at 5 K, providing unambiguous evidence of antiferromagnetism and strong interlayer exchange coupling in our films. Field cycling studies show steep initial training effects, highlighting the complex magnetic interactions and anisotropy. Importantly, our work provides a simple, alternative means to fabricate FeSn films and heterostructures, making it easier to explore the topological physics of AFM TSMs and develop FeSn-based spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Anomalous Hall effect in nanoscale structures of the antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetal Mn 3 Sn at room temperature

The magnetic Weyl semimetallic state in the chiral antiferromagnet Mn 3 Sn has attracted interest for its potential in memory technology. Despite vanishingly small magnetization, the material exhibits large transverse responses that can be electrically manipulated, similar to ferromagnets. Through deposition on heated Si/SiO 2 substrates, we have fabricated polycrystalline Mn 3 Sn films that have coarse surfaces, the thinner of which have a discontinuous structure comprised of grains with diameters of the order of 100 nm. Here we confirm that these grains retain the anomalous Hall effect arising in the time reversal symmetry broken chiral antiferromagnetic phase of Mn 3 Sn at room temperature by serially connecting the grains with an additional conducting layer. These results pave the path for the potential applications of nanoscale Mn 3 Sn systems, which could be useful in the development of energy efficient memory devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Two-dimensional quantum universality in the spin-1/2 triangular-lattice quantum antiferromagnet Na 2 BaCo(PO 4 ) 2

An interplay of geometrical frustration and strong quantum fluctuations in a spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TAF) can lead to exotic quantum states. Here, we report the neutron-scattering, magnetization, specific heat, and magnetocaloric studies of the recently discovered spin-1/2 TAF Na 2 BaCo(PO 4 ) 2 , which can be described by a spin-1/2 easy axis XXZ model. The zero-field neutron diffraction experiment reveals an incommensurate antiferromagnetic ground state with a significantly reduced ordered moment of about 0.54(2) μ B /Co. Different magnetic phase diagrams with magnetic fields in the a b plane and along the easy c -axis were extracted based on the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and elastic neutron-scattering results. In addition, two-dimensional (2D) spin dispersion in the triangular plane was observed in the high-field polarized state, and microscopic exchange parameters of the spin Hamiltonian have been determined through the linear spin wave theory. Consistently, quantum critical behaviors with the universality class of d = 2 and ν z = 1 were established in the vicinity of the saturation field, where a Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) of diluted magnons occurs. The newly discovered quantum criticality and fractional magnetization phase in this ideal spin-1/2 TAF present exciting opportunities for exploring exotic quantum phenomena.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

High-temperature anomalous Hall effect driven by frustrated spin fluctuations in the antiferromagnetic delafossite metal PdCrO 2

Metallic delafossite oxides are of exceptional interest due to their ultraclean metallic transport. In the case of PdCrO 2 , this arises in a triangular-lattice antiferromagnet, creating a unique opportunity to study frustrated magnetism in a very clean metal. Here, we combine a chemical vapor transport crystal growth approach with magnetic, thermodynamic, magnetotransport, and neutron scattering measurements to elucidate the striking anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in antiferromagnetic PdCrO 2 . The unconventional AHE (with anomalous Hall conductivity ~10 5 Ω −1 cm −1 ) and a large positive magnetoresistance effect (>1,000%) are shown to exhibit complex temperature dependencies, persisting to almost seven times the Néel temperature (~250 K). These effects are directly compared to elastic neutron scattering, inelastic neutron scattering, and neutron magnetic pair distribution function data, establishing unambiguous links between anomalous magnetotransport properties and directly probed short-range spin fluctuations. The latter occur over a notably broad temperature range due to geometrical magnetic frustration. Connecting to recent experimental and theoretical developments, these findings are discussed in terms of a temperature-dependent interplay between chiral spin order and chiral spin fluctuations, significantly elucidating the high-temperature anomalous magnetotransport in such compounds.

anomalous Hall effect↗

Antiferromagnetic order and the structural order-disorder transition in the Cd 6 Ho quasicrystal approximant

It has generally been accepted that the orientational ordering of the Cd 4 tetrahedron within the Cd 6 R quasicrystal approximants is kinetically inhibited for R = Ho, Er, Tm and Lu by steric constraints. Our high-resolution X-ray scattering measurements of the Cd 6 Ho quasicrystal approximant, however, reveal an abrupt (first-order) transition to a monoclinic structure below T S = 178 K for samples that have ‘aged’ at room temperature for approximately one year, reopening this question. Using X-ray resonant magnetic scattering at the Ho L 3 -edge we have elucidated the nature of the antiferromagnetic ordering below T N = 8.5 K in Cd 6 Ho. The magnetic Bragg peaks are found at the charge forbidden H + K + L = 2n + 1 positions, referenced to the high-temperature body-centred cubic structure. In general terms, this corresponds to antiferromagnetic arrangements of the Ho moments on adjacent clusters in the unit cell as previously found for Cd 6 Tb.

Kreyssig, Andreas↗

Electronic structure reconstruction across the antiferromagnetic transition in TaFe₁̣₂₃Te₃ spin ladder

With angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we studied the electronic structure of TaFe₁̣₂₃Te₃, a two-leg spin ladder compound with a novel antiferromagnetic ground state. Quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surface is observed, with sizable inter-ladder hopping. Moreover, instead of observing an energy gap at the Fermi surface in the antiferromagnetic state, we observed the shifts of various bands. Combining these observations with density-functional-theory calculations, we propose that the large scale reconstruction of the electronic structure, caused by the interactions between coexisting itinerant electrons and local moments, is most likely the driving force of the magnetic transition. Thus TaFe₁̣₂₃Te₃ serves as a simpler platform that contains similar ingredients as the parent compounds of iron-based superconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magnetic structure of the antiferromagnetic Kondo lattice compounds CeRhAl 4 Si 2 and CeIrAl 4 Si 2

In this article, we have investigated the magnetic ground state of the antiferromagnetic Kondo-lattice compounds CeMAl 4 Si 2 (M = Rh, Ir) using neutron powder diffraction. Although both of these compounds show two magnetic transitions T N1 and T N2 in the bulk properties measurements, evidence for magnetic long-range order was only found below the lower transition T N2 . Analysis of the diffraction profiles reveals a commensurate antiferromagnetic structure with a propagation vector k = (0, 0, 1/2). The magnetic moment in the ordered state of CeRhAl 4 Si 2 and CeIrAl 4 Si 2 were determined to be 1.14(2) and 1.41(3) μB /Ce, respectively, and are parallel to the crystallographic c-axis in agreement with magnetic susceptibility measurements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Temperature-driven growth of antiferromagnetic domains in thin-film FeRh

The evolution of the antiferromagnetic phase across the temperature-driven ferromagnetic (FM) to antiferromagnetic (AF) phase transition in epitaxial FeRh thin films was studied by x-ray magnetic linear and circular dichroism (XMLD and XMCD) and photoemission electron microscopy. By comparing XMLD and XMCD images recorded at the same temperature, the AF phase was identified, its structure directly imaged, and its evolution studied across the transition. A quantitative analysis of the correlation length of the images shows differences between the characteristic length scale of the two phases with the AF phase having a finer feature size. The asymmetry of the transition from FM to AF upon cooling and AF-FM upon heating is evidenced: upon cooling the formation of AF phase is dominated by nucleation at defects, with little subsequent growth, resulting in a small and non-random final AF domain structure, while upon heating, heterogeneous nucleation at different sites followed by significant domain size growth of the FM phase is observed, resulting in a non-reproducible final FM large domain structure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magnetic ordering in the Ising antiferromagnetic pyrochlore Nd 2 ScNbO 7

The question of structural disorder and its effects on magnetism is relevant to a number of spin liquid candidate materials. Although commonly thought of as a route to spin glass behaviour, here we describe a system in which the structural disorder results in long-range antiferromagnetic order due to local symmetry breaking. Nd 2 ScNbO 7 is shown to have a dispersionless gapped excitation observed in other neodymium pyrochlores below T N = 0.37 K through polarized and inelastic neutron scattering. However the dispersing spin waves are not observed. This excited mode is shown to occur in only 14(2)% of the neodymium ions through spectroscopy and is consistent with total scattering measurements as well as the magnitude of the dynamic moment 0.26(2) μB . The remaining magnetic species order completely into the all-in all-out Ising antiferromagnetic structure. This can be seen as a result of local symmetry breaking due disordered Sc +3 and Nb +5 ions about the A-site. From this work, it has been established that B-site disorder restores the dipole-like behaviour of the Nd +3 ions compared to the Nd 2 ScNbO 7 parent series.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Electronic signatures of successive itinerant, antiferromagnetic transitions in hexagonal La 2 Ni 7

We use high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the electronic and magnetic properties of La 2 Ni 7 , an itinerant magnetic system with a series of three magnetic transition temperatures upon cooling, which end in a small moment antiferromagnetic (smAFM) ground state. Our APRES data reveal several electron and hole pockets that have hexagonal symmetry near the Γ point. We observe significant reconstruction of the band structure upon successive magnetic transitions at T 1 ~ 61 K, T 2 ~ 57 K and T 3 ~ 42 K. Several features observed in ARPES data were reasonably well reproduced by DFT calculations, while others were not. In particular, the flat band near E f predicted by DFT in AFM state, was seemingly absent in ARPES data. Our results detail the effects of magnetic ordering on the electronic structure in a Ni-based small moment antiferromagnet and highlight challenges of current computational methods.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Electronic Origin of Delicate Antiferromagnetism in Fe 𝑥 ⁢NbS 2

Among the family of intercalated transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), Fe 𝑥 ⁢NbS 2 is found to possess unique current-induced resistive switching behaviors, tunable antiferromagnetic states, and a commensurate charge order, all of which are tied to a critical Fe doping of 𝑥 𝑐 = 1/3. However, the electronic origin of such extreme stoichiometry sensitivities remains unclear. Combining angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we identify and characterize a dramatic eV-scale electronic restructuring that occurs across the 𝑥𝑐. Moment-carrying Fe 3⁢𝑑 𝑧 2 electrons manifest as narrow bands within 200 meV of the Fermi level, distinct from other transition metal intercalated TMD magnets. These states strongly hybridize with itinerant electrons in the TMD layer and rapidly lose coherence above 𝑥 𝑐 due to correlation-driven effects. This sudden quasiparticle decoherence collapses the Fe-Nb hybridization, which explicitly suppresses the out-of-plane effective Fe-Fe exchange interaction, driving the transformation of the magnetic ground state from an antiferromagnetic stripe phase to a zigzag phase. Furthermore, these observations resemble the exceptional electronic and magnetic sensitivity of strongly correlated systems, and demonstrate that quantifying orbital-specific hybridization via ARPES offers an alternative pathway to evaluate effective magnetic exchange in metallic magnets, complementing inelastic neutron and resonant x-ray scattering probes.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy↗

Collinear antiferromagnetic order in a quasi-two-dimensional triangular lattice compound DyNiAl 4 Ge 2

The two-dimensional magnetic triangular lattice, with rare-earth local moments coupled through long-range interactions and hosting strong spin-orbit coupling, serves as an ideal platform for exploring novel quantum phenomena. Here, we report the physical properties of DyNiAl 4 Ge 2 single crystals through comprehensive structural, magnetic, heat capacity, electrical transport, and neutron powder diffraction measurements. DyNiAl 4 Ge 2 crystallizes in a trigonal lattice with the space group $R\bar{3}m$, where Dy atoms form two-dimensional triangular lattice layers within the 𝑎𝑏 plane and stack along the 𝑐 axis. Magnetic susceptibility measurement reveals a magnetic phase transition at 𝑇 𝑁 = 9.0 K, further confirmed by the 𝜆-shaped peak in the heat capacity curve. The obtained temperature-magnetic field phase diagram is relatively simple compared to other isostructural compounds, suggesting the absence of magnetic frustration. This is further evidenced by neutron powder diffraction, which shows a collinear antiferromagnetic ground state with a propagation vector 𝒌 = (0, 0, 1.5), implying the absence of magnetic frustration in DyNiAl 4 Ge 2 . In this magnetic structure, Dy moments are aligned ferromagnetically within each triangular layer and arranged antiferromagnetically between adjacent layers along the 𝑐 axis. In conclusion, our results establish DyNiAl 4 Ge 2 as a model system for understanding the interplay between RKKY interaction and geometrical frustration in this family of compounds.

Wu, HengHeng [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), S↗

Antiferromagnetic stacking of ferromagnetic layers and doping-controlled phase competition in Ca 1 - x Sr x Co 2 - y As 2

In search of a quantum phase transition between the two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetism of Ca 1 - x Sr x Co 2 - y As 2 and stripe-type antiferromagnetism in SrCo2As 2 , we instead discover evidence for 1D magnetic frustration between magnetic square Co layers. We present neutron-diffraction data for Ca 1 - x Sr x Co 2 - y As 2 that reveal a sequence of $x$-dependent magnetic transitions which involve different stacking of 2D ferromagnetically aligned layers with different magnetic anisotropy. We report on the $x$-dependent changes to the magnetic order by utilizing classical analytical calculations of a 1D Heisenberg model where single-ion magnetic anisotropy and frustration of antiferromagnetic nearest- and next-nearest-layer exchange interactions are all composition dependent.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Spin-wave directional anisotropies in antiferromagnetic Ba 3 NbFe 3 Si 2 O 14

Ba 3 NbFe 3 Si 2 O 14 (langasite) is structurally and magnetically single-domain chiral with the magnetic helicity induced through competing symmetric exchange interactions. Using neutron scattering, we show that the spin waves in antiferromagnetic langasite display directional anisotropy. On applying a time-reversal symmetry breaking magnetic field along the c axis, the spin-wave energies differ when the sign is reversed for either the momentum transfer ±$\vec {Q}$ or applied magnetic field ±μ 0 H. When the field is applied within the crystallographic ab plane, the spin-wave dispersion is directionally isotropic and symmetric in ±μ 0 H. However, a directional anisotropy is observed in the spin-wave intensity. Finally, we discuss this directional anisotropy in the dispersion in langasite in terms of a field-induced precession of the dynamic unit cell staggered magnetization resulting from a broken twofold symmetry. Directional anisotropy, often referred to as nonreciprocal responses, can occur in antiferromagnetic phases in the absence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction or other effects resulting from spin-orbit coupling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗