IPA-CuCl₃: a S=1/2 Ladder with Ferromagnetic Rungs

Conference · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2005

OSTI ID:990678

Masuda, Takatsugu ^[1]; Zheludev, Andrey I ^[1]; Manaka, H. ^[2]; Chung, J. -H. ^[3]

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1. ORNL
2. Kagoshima University, Kagoshima JAPAN
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The spin gap material IPA-CuCl{sub 3} has been extensively studied as a ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic bond-alternating S = 1/2 chain. This description of the system was derived from structural considerations and bulk measurements. New inelastic neutron scattering experiments reveal a totally different picture: IPA-CuCl{sub 3} consists of weakly coupled spin ladders with antiferromagnetic legs and ferromagnetic rungs. The ladders run perpendicular to the originally supposed bond-alternating chain direction. The ferromagnetic rungs make this system equivalent to a Haldane S = 1 antiferromagnet. With a gap energy of 1.17(1) meV, a zone-boundary energy of 4.1(1) meV, and almost no magnetic anisotropy, IPA-CuCl{sub 3} may be the best Haldane-gap material yet, in terms of suitability for neutron scattering studies in high magnetic fields.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); High Flux Isotope Reactor
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 990678
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ANISOTROPY
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
FERROMAGNETISM
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEUTRONS
PHYSICS
SCATTERING
SPIN