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Title: Reentrant incommensurate order and anomalous magnetic torque in the Kitaev magnet β Li 2 Ir O 3

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of the response of β-Li2IrO3 under external magnetic fields in the ab, bc, and ac crystallographic planes. The results are based on the minimal nearest-neighbor J-K-Γ model and reveal a rich intertwining of field-induced phases and magnetic phase transitions with distinctive signatures that can be probed directly via torque magnetometry. Most saliently, we observe (i) an unusual reentrance of the incommensurate counterrotating order for fields in the ab plane and (ii) a set of abrupt torque discontinuities which are particularly large for fields rotating in the bc plane and whose characteristic shape resembles closely the ones observed in the three-dimensional (3D) Kitaev magnet γ-Li2IrO3. An experimental confirmation of these predictions will pave the way for an accurate determination of all relevant microscopic parameters of this 3D Kitaev magnet.

Authors:
; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1651237
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1660778; OSTI ID: 1764399
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0018056
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Physical Review Research Journal Volume: 2 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2643-1564
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; Magnetism; spin dynamics

Citation Formats

Li, Mengqun, Rousochatzakis, Ioannis, and Perkins, Natalia B. Reentrant incommensurate order and anomalous magnetic torque in the Kitaev magnet β − Li 2 Ir O 3. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.033328.
Li, Mengqun, Rousochatzakis, Ioannis, & Perkins, Natalia B. Reentrant incommensurate order and anomalous magnetic torque in the Kitaev magnet β − Li 2 Ir O 3. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.033328
Li, Mengqun, Rousochatzakis, Ioannis, and Perkins, Natalia B. Fri . "Reentrant incommensurate order and anomalous magnetic torque in the Kitaev magnet β − Li 2 Ir O 3". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.033328.
@article{osti_1651237,
title = {Reentrant incommensurate order and anomalous magnetic torque in the Kitaev magnet β − Li 2 Ir O 3},
author = {Li, Mengqun and Rousochatzakis, Ioannis and Perkins, Natalia B.},
abstractNote = {We present a theoretical study of the response of β-Li2IrO3 under external magnetic fields in the ab, bc, and ac crystallographic planes. The results are based on the minimal nearest-neighbor J-K-Γ model and reveal a rich intertwining of field-induced phases and magnetic phase transitions with distinctive signatures that can be probed directly via torque magnetometry. Most saliently, we observe (i) an unusual reentrance of the incommensurate counterrotating order for fields in the ab plane and (ii) a set of abrupt torque discontinuities which are particularly large for fields rotating in the bc plane and whose characteristic shape resembles closely the ones observed in the three-dimensional (3D) Kitaev magnet γ-Li2IrO3. An experimental confirmation of these predictions will pave the way for an accurate determination of all relevant microscopic parameters of this 3D Kitaev magnet.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.033328},
journal = {Physical Review Research},
number = 3,
volume = 2,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}

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