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Title: Magnetic Interactions in the Geometrically Frustrated Triangular Lattice Antiferromagnet CuFeO{sub 2}

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]; ;  [4];  [5]
  1. Neutron Scattering Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)
  2. Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)
  3. Experimental Facilities Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)
  4. NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 (United States)
  5. Division of Materials Physics, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531 (Japan)

The spin-wave excitations of the geometrically frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO{sub 2} have been measured using high resolution inelastic neutron scattering. Antiferromagnetic interactions up to third nearest neighbors in the ab plane (J{sub 1}, J{sub 2}, J{sub 3}, with J{sub 2}/J{sub 1}{approx_equal}0.44 and J{sub 3}/J{sub 1}{approx_equal}0.57), as well as out-of-plane coupling (J{sub z}, with J{sub z}/J{sub 1}{approx_equal}0.29) are required to describe the spin-wave dispersion relations, indicating a three-dimensional character of the magnetic interactions. Two energy dips in the spin-wave dispersion occur at the incommensurate wave vectors associated with multiferroic phase and can be interpreted as dynamic precursors to the magnetoelectric behavior in this system.

OSTI ID:
21024271
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 15; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.157201; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English