Anisotropic spin freezing in the S=1/2 zigzag ladder compound SrCuO2

Using magnetic neutron scattering we characterize an unusual low temperature phase in orthorhombic SrCuO2. The material contains zigzag spin ladders formed by pairs of S=1/2 chains (J=180 meV) coupled through a weak frustrated interaction |J'|<0.1J. At T<Tc1=5.0(4)K an elastic peak develops in a gapless magnetic excitation spectrum indicating spin freezing on a time scale larger than 200 picoseconds. While the frozen state has long range commensurate antiferromagnetic order along the chains with the correlation length exceeding 200 lattice periods along the c-axis and a substantial correlation length of 60(25) spacings along the a-axis perpendicular to the zigzag plane, only 2 lattice units are correlated along the b-axis which is the direction of the frustrated interactions. The frozen magnetic moment of each Cu ion is very small, 0.033(7) Bohr magneton even at T=0.35K, and has unusual temperature dependence with a cusp at Tc2=1.5K reminiscent of a phase transition. We argue that slow dynamics of stripe-like cooperative magnetic defects in tetragonal a-c planes yield this anisotropic frozen state.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX, submitted to PR

Observation of Antiferromagnetic Order as Odd-Parity Multipoles inside the Superconducting Phase in CeRh₂As₂

Spatial inversion symmetry in crystal structures is closely related to the superconducting (SC) and magnetic properties of materials. Recently, several theoretical proposals that predict various interesting phenomena caused by the breaking of the local inversion symmetry have been presented. However, experimental validation has not yet progressed owing to the lack of model materials. Here we present evidence for antiferromagnetic (AFM) order in Formula Presented (SC transition temperature Formula Presented), wherein the Ce site breaks the local inversion symmetry. The evidence is based on the observation of different extents of broadening of the nuclear quadrupole resonance spectrum at two crystallographically inequivalent As sites. This AFM ordering breaks the inversion symmetry of this system, resulting in the activation of an odd-parity magnetic multipole. Moreover, the onset of antiferromagnetism Formula Presented within an SC phase, with Formula Presented, is quite unusual in systems wherein superconductivity coexists or competes with magnetism. Our observations show that Formula Presented is a promising system to study how the absence of local inversion symmetry induces or influences unconventional magnetic and SC states, as well as their interaction. © 2022 American Physical Societ