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Title: Field-induced incommensurate-to-commensurate transition in Ba{sub 2}CuGe{sub 2}O{sub 7}

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter
; ;  [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973-5000 (United States)
  2. Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113 (Japan)

We report an observation of a commensurate-incommensurate phase transition in the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya spiral antiferromagnet Ba{sub 2}CuGe{sub 2}O{sub 7}. The transition is induced by an external magnetic field applied along the c axis of the tetragonal structure, i.e., in the plane of spin rotation. Bulk magnetic measurements and neutron-diffraction experiments show that the transition occurs in a critical field H{sub c}{approx}2.1 T. Experimental results for the period of the magnetic structure and magnetization as functions of magnetic field are in quantitative agreement with our exact analytical solution for Dzyaloshinskii{close_quote}s model of commensurate-incommensurate transitions in spiral magnets. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

OSTI ID:
568318
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 57, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English