Neutron diffraction study of YVO{sub 3}, NdVO{sub 3}, and TbVO{sub 3}

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.73.0· OSTI ID:20787963

Reehuis, M ^[1]; Ulrich, C; Keimer, B ^[1]; Pattison, P ^[2]; Ouladdiaf, B; Rheinstaedter, M C ^[3]; Ohl, M ^[4]; Regnault, L P ^[5]; Miyasaka, M ^[6]; Tokura, Y ^[6]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany)
2. SNBL at ESRF, BP 220, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)
3. Institut Laue-Langevin, BP 156, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)
4. Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, D-52425 Juelich (Germany)
5. CEA Grenoble, Departement de Recherche Fondamentale sur la Matiere Condensee, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France)
6. Department of Applied Physics, University of Tokyo, 113 Tokyo (Japan)

The structural and magnetic properties of YVO{sub 3}, NdVO{sub 3} and TbVO{sub 3} were investigated by single-crystal and powder neutron diffraction. YVO{sub 3} shows a structural phase transition at 200 K from an orthorhombic structure with the space group Pbnm to a monoclinic one with the space group P2{sub 1}/b. But supplementary high-resolution synchrotron diffraction experiments showed that the monoclinic distortion is extremely small. A group theoretical analysis shows that this magnetic state in the monoclinic phase is incompatible with the lattice structure, unless terms of higher than bilinear order in the spin operators are incorporated in the spin Hamiltonian. This observation is discussed in the light of recent theories invoking unusual many-body correlations between the vanadium t{sub 2g} orbitals. A structural phase transition back to the orthorhombic space group Pbnm is observed upon cooling below 77 K. This transition is accompanied by a rearrangement of the magnetic structure into a mode compatible with the lattice structure. The crystal structures of NdVO{sub 3} and TbVO{sub 3} are closely similar to that of YVO{sub 3}. However, only a single magnetic phase transition was found in the vanadium sublattice down to 9.5 K. Below 60 K the magnetic moments of the Nd{sup 3+}- and Tb{sup 3+}-ions are gradually polarized by the ordered vanadium moments. Below 11 K, we found a noncollinear order of the terbium moments.

• OSTI ID: 20787963
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 73, Issue 9; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.73.094440; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
HAMILTONIANS
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
MONOCLINIC LATTICES
MONOCRYSTALS
NEODYMIUM COMPOUNDS
NEODYMIUM IONS
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
ORTHORHOMBIC LATTICES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SPIN
TERBIUM
TERBIUM COMPOUNDS
TERBIUM IONS
VANADATES
VANADIUM
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS