Field-induced spin density wave and spiral phases in a layered antiferromagnet
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Condensed Matter Division
- Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Grenoble (France). Inst. on Nanoscience and Cryogenics (INAC) and Statistical Physics, Magnetism and Superconductivity (SPSMS)
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Applied Physics and Geballe Lab. for Advanced Materials
In this study, we determine the low-field ordered magnetic phases of the S=1 dimerized antiferromagnet Ba3Mn2O8 using single-crystal neutron diffraction. We find that for magnetic fields between μ0H=8.80T and 10.56T applied along the [110] direction the system exhibits spin density wave order with incommensurate wave vectors of type (η,η,ε). For μ0H>10.56T, the magnetic order changes to a spiral phase with incommensurate wave vectors only along the [hh0] direction. For both field-induced ordered phases, the magnetic moments are lying in the plane perpendicular to the field direction. The nature of these two transitions is fundamentally different: the low-field transition is a second-order transition to a spin density wave ground state, while the one at higher field, toward the spiral phase, is of first order.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725; DMR-1205165; DMR-0454672
- OSTI ID:
- 1210151
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1203817; OSTI ID: 1327631
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 92, Issue 2; ISSN 1098-0121
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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