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Title: Low-energy magnon dynamics and magneto-optics of the skyrmionic Mott insulator Cu 2 OSeO 3

Journal Article · · Physical Review B
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1]
  1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States). Inst. for Quantum Matter. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
  2. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States). Inst. for Quantum Matter. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy. Dept. of Chemistry
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Condensed Matter Division
  4. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States). Inst. for Quantum Matter. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy. Dept. of Chemistry. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
  5. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States). Inst. for Quantum Matter. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

In this study, we present a comprehensive study of the low-energy optical magnetic response of the skyrmionic Mott insulator Cu 2 OSeO 3 via high resolution time-domain THz spectroscopy. In zero field, a new magnetic excitation ( f 0 = 2.03 THz ) which has not been predicted by spin-wave theory is observed and shown, with accompanying time-of-flight neutron scattering experiments, to be a zone folded magnon from the R to Γ points of the Brillouin zone. Highly sensitive polarimetry experiments performed in weak magnetic fields, μ 0 H < 200 mT , observe Faraday and Kerr rotations which are proportional to the sample magnetization, allowing for optical detection of the skyrmion phase and construction of a magnetic phase diagram. From these measurements, we extract a critical exponent of β = 0.35 ± 0.04 , in good agreement with the expected value for the 3D Heisenberg universality class of β = 0.367 . In large magnetic fields, μ 0 H > 5 T , we observe the magnetically active uniform mode of the ferrimagnetic field polarized phase whose dynamics as a function of field and temperature are studied. In addition to extracting a g eff = 2.08 ± 0.03 , we observe the uniform mode to decay through a non-Gilbert damping mechanism and to possess a finite spontaneous decay rate, Γ 0 25 GHz , in the zero temperature limit. Finally, our observations are attributed to Dzyaloshinkii-Moriya interactions, which have been proposed to be exceptionally strong in Cu 2 OSeO 3 and are expected to impact the low-energy magnetic response of such chiral magnets.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); ARCS Foundation (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; FG02-08ER46544; DGE-1232825
OSTI ID:
1474719
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1372525
Journal Information:
Physical Review B, Vol. 95, Issue 23; ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 7 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (1)

Inelastic light scattering in the spin cluster Mott insulator Cu 2 OSeO 3 journal December 2019