Pressure dependence of the magnetic order in CrAs: a neutron diffraction investigation

Journal Article · Thu Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.020409· OSTI ID:1185828

Keller, L. ^[1]; White, J. S. ^[1]; Babkevich, P. ^[2]; Susner, Michael A. ^[3]; Sims, Zachary C ^[3]; Safa-Sefat, Athena ^[3]; Ronnow, H. M. ^[4]; Ruegg, Ch. ^[5]

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1. Paul Scherrer Inst., Villigen (Switzerland). Lab. for Neutron Scattering and Imaging
2. Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne (Switzlerland). Lab. for Quantum Magnetism (LQM)
3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science & Technology Division
4. Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne (Switzlerland). Lab. for Quantum Magnetism (LQM); RIKEN Centre for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), Waki (Japan)
5. Paul Scherrer Inst., Villigen (Switzerland). Lab. for Neutron Scattering and Imaging; Univ. of Geneva (Switzerland). Dept. of Quantum Matter Physics

The suppression of magnetic order with pressure concomitant with the appearance of pressure-induced superconductivity was recently discovered in CrAs. Here we present a neutron diffraction study of the pressure evolution of the helimagnetic ground-state towards and in the vicinity of the superconducting phase. Neutron diffraction on polycrystalline CrAs was employed from zero pressure to 0.65 GPa and at various temperatures. The helimagnetic long-range order is sustained under pressure and the magnetic propagation vector does not show any considerable change. The average ordered magnetic moment is reduced from 1.73(2) μ_B at ambient pressure to 0.4(1) μ_B close to the critical pressure P_c ≈ 0.7 GPa, at which magnetic order is completely suppressed. The width of the magnetic Bragg peaks strongly depends on temperature and pressure, showing a maximum in the region of the onset of superconductivity. In conclusion, we interpret this as associated with competing ground-states in the vicinity of the superconducting phase.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1185828
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1181132
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 91, Issue 2; ISSN 1098-0121
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE