Long-Range Magnetic Interactions in the Multiferroic Antiferromagnet MnWO4

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.83.140401· OSTI ID:1024669

Ye, Feng ^[1]; Fishman, Randy Scott ^[1]; Fernandez-Baca, Jaime A ^[1]; Podlesnyak, Andrey A ^[1]; Ehlers, Georg ^[1]; Mook, Jr, Herbert A ^[1]; Wang, Y. -Q. ^[2]; Lorenz, Bernd ^[1]; Chu, C. W. ^[2]

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1. ORNL
2. University of Houston, Houston

The spin-wave excitations of the multiferroic MnWO4 have been measured in its low-temperature collinear commensurate phase using high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering. These excitations can be well described by a Heisenberg model with competing long-range exchange interactions and a single-ion anisotropy term. We find that the magnetic interactions are strongly frustrated within the zigzag spin chain along c-axis and between chains along the a-axis, while the coupling between spin along the b-axis is much weaker. We argue that the balance of these interactions results in the noncollinear incommensurate spin structure associated with the magnetoelectric effect, and the perturbation of the magnetic interactions leads to the observed rich phase diagrams of the chemically-doped materials. This delicate balance can also be tuned by the application of external electric or magnetic fields to achieve practical magnetoelectric control of this type of materials.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Spallation Neutron Source
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1024669
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 83; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ANISOTROPY
CHAINS
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
HEISENBERG MODEL
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEUTRONS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
SCATTERING
SPIN