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Three-dimensional magnetic structures and rare-earth magnetic ordering in Nd sub 2 CuO sub 4 and Pr sub 2 CuO sub 4

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA)
; ; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3]; ; ;  [4]
  1. Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980 (Japan)
  2. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Opto-Electronics Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-11 (Japan)
  3. Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (USA)
  4. Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (USA)

The three-dimensional (3D) magnetism present in Nd{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} and Pr{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} has been examined in neutron-scattering experiments. Antiferromagnetic long-range order of the Cu{sup 2+} moments develops below {ital T}{sub {ital N}}=255 K in both compounds. In Nd{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} a series of magnetic phase transitions in which the Cu{sup 2+} spins reorient has also been observed below {ital T}{sub {ital N}}, while in Pr{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} the 3D Cu{sup 2+} spin structure is stable. No changes in the crystalline structure of Nd{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} associated with the spin-reorientation transitions were found. Induced ordering of the rare-earth magnetic moments has been observed in both compounds. The Nd{sup 3+} (Pr{sup 3+}) magnetic moments align parallel (antiparallel) to Cu{sup 2+} moments which are nearest neighbors along the {ital c} axis, and the ordered moments of the rare-earth ions were determined to be {similar to}1.3{mu}{sub {ital B}} for Nd{sup 3+} at 0.4 K and {similar to}0.08{mu}{sub {ital B}} for Pr{sup 3+} at 8 K. The temperature-dependent Pr{sup 3+} moment is shown to be proportional to the Cu{sup 2+} moment times the bulk susceptibility. In this paper we also discuss the role of the {ital XY} anisotropy in the 3D ordering.

DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
5777501
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA) Vol. 42:16; ISSN PRBMD; ISSN 0163-1829
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English