87 research outputs found
Relaxation in the 3D ordered CoTAC spin chain by quantum nucleation of 0D domain walls
We have shown that resonant quantum tunnelling of the magnetisation (QTM),
until now observed only in 0D cluster systems (SMMs), occurs in the molecular
Ising spin chain, CoTAC ([(CH_3)_3NH]CoCl_3 - 2H_2O) which orders as a canted
3D-antiferromagnet at T_C=4.15 K. This effect was observed around a resonant
like field value of 1025 Oe. We present here measurements of the relaxation of
the magnetisation as a function of time, from the zero field cooled (ZFC)
antiferromagnet state and from the saturated ferromagnet state. We show that,
at the resonant field, the relaxation from the saturated state occurs in a
complicated process, whereas, surprisingly, in the case of the ZFC state, the
relaxation is exponential.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, LT25 proceeding
Updating the phase diagram of the archetypal frustrated magnet Gd3Ga5O12
The applied magnetic field and temperature phase diagram of the archetypal
frustrated magnet, Gd3Ga5O12, has been reinvestigated using single crystal
magnetometry and polarised neutron diffraction. The updated phase diagram is
substantially more complicated than previously reported and can be understood
in terms of competing interactions with loops of spins, trimers and decagons,
in addition to competition and interplay between antiferromagnetic,
incommensurate and ferromagnetic order. Several additional distinct phase
boundaries are presented. The phase diagram centers around a multiphase
convergence to a single point at 0.9 T and ~ 0.35 K, below which, in
temperature, a very narrow magnetically disordered region exists. These data
illustrate the richness and diversity that arises from frustrated exchange on
the 3 dimensional hyperkagome lattice
Intrinsic avalanches and collective phenomena in a Mn(II)-free radical ferrimagnetic chain
Magnetic hysteresis loops below 300 mK on single crystals of the Mn(II) -
nitronyl nitroxide free radical chain (Mn(hfac)_2({\it R})-3MLNN) present
abrupt reversals of the magnetization, or avalanches. We show that, below 200
mK, the avalanches occur at a constant field, independent of the sample and so
propose that this avalanche field is an intrinsic property. We compare this
field to the energy barrier existing in the sample and conclude that the
avalanches are provoked by multiple nucleation of domain-walls along the
chains. The different avalanche field observed in the zero field cooled
magnetization curves suggests that the avalanche mechanisms are related to the
competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order in this compound.Comment: 9 pages, 7 fig, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Low-temperature magnetization in geometrically frustrated Tb2Ti2O7
The nature of the low temperature ground state of the pyrochlore compound
Tb2Ti2O7 remains a puzzling issue. Dynamic fluctuations and short-range
correlations persist down to 50 mK, as evidenced by microscopic probes. In
parallel, magnetization measurements show irreversibilities and glassy behavior
below 200 mK. We have performed magnetization and AC susceptibility
measurements on four single crystals down to 57 mK. We did not observe a clear
plateau in the magnetization as a function of field along the [111] direction,
as suggested by the quantum spin ice model. In addition to a freezing around
200 mK, slow dynamics are observed in the AC susceptibility up to 4 K. The
overall frequency dependence cannot be described by a canonical spin-glass
behavior.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures + Supp. Mat (3 pages, 5 figures
Evidence for unidimensional low-energy excitations as the origin of persistent spin dynamics in geometrically frustrated magnets
We report specific heat, magnetic, and muon spin relaxation measurements
performed on a polycrystalline sample of the normal spinel CdHo2S4. The
rare-earth ions sit on a lattice of corner-sharing regular tetrahedra as in
pyrochlore compounds. Magnetic ordering is detected at Tc ~ 0.87 K. From
spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements on both sides of Tc we uncover
similar magnetic excitation modes driving the so-called persistent spin
dynamics at T < Tc. Unidimensional excitations are argued to be at its origin.
Often observed spin loop structures are suggested to support these excitations.
The possibility of a generic mechanism for their existence is discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure
Neutron scattering from fragmented frustrated magnets
The fragmentation description is used to analyse calculated neutron
scattering intensities from kagom\'e ice and spin ice systems. The
longitudinal, transverse and harmonic fragments produce independent
contributions to the neutron scattering intensity. This framework is used to
analyse the ordering due to quantum fluctuations in the topologically
constrained phase of kagom\'e ice and the monopole crystal phase of spin ice.
Here, quantum fluctuations are restricted to the transverse fragment and they
drive the system into a double- structure in which longitudinal and
transverse fragments have a different ordering wave vector. The intensity
reduction of the Bragg peaks for the transverse fragments, compared with known
classical limits can be used as a diagnostic tool for quantum fluctuations.
Published quantum Monte Carlo data for spin ice in a field are
consistent with the proposed protocol.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure
Observation of magnetic fragmentation in spin ice
Fractionalised excitations that emerge from a many body system have revealed
rich physics and concepts, from composite fermions in two-dimensional electron
systems, revealed through the fractional quantum Hall effect, to spinons in
antiferromagnetic chains and, more recently, fractionalisation of Dirac
electrons in graphene and magnetic monopoles in spin ice. Even more surprising
is the fragmentation of the degrees of freedom themselves, leading to
coexisting and a priori independent ground states. This puzzling phenomenon was
recently put forward in the context of spin ice, in which the magnetic moment
field can fragment, resulting in a dual ground state consisting of a
fluctuating spin liquid, a so-called Coulomb phase, on top of a magnetic
monopole crystal. Here we show, by means of neutron scattering measurements,
that such fragmentation occurs in the spin ice candidate NdZrO. We
observe the spectacular coexistence of an antiferromagnetic order induced by
the monopole crystallisation and a fluctuating state with ferromagnetic
correlations. Experimentally, this fragmentation manifests itself via the
superposition of magnetic Bragg peaks, characteristic of the ordered phase, and
a pinch point pattern, characteristic of the Coulomb phase. These results
highlight the relevance of the fragmentation concept to describe the physics of
systems that are simultaneously ordered and fluctuating.Comment: accepted in Nature Physic
Dynamic behavior of magnetic avalanches in the spin-ice compound DyTiO
Avalanches of the magnetization, that is to say an abrupt reversal of the
magnetization at a given field, have been previously reported in the spin-ice
compound DyTiO. This out-of-equilibrium process, induced by
magneto-thermal heating, is quite usual in low temperature magnetization
studies. A key point is to determine the physical origin of the avalanche
process. In particular, in spin-ice compounds, the origin of the avalanches
might be related to the monopole physics inherent to the system. We have
performed a detailed study of the avalanche phenomena in three single crystals,
with the field oriented along the [111] direction, perpendicular to [111] and
along the [100] directions. We have measured the changing magnetization during
the avalanches and conclude that avalanches in spin ice are quite slow compared
to the avalanches reported in other systems such as molecular magnets. Our
measurements show that the avalanches trigger after a delay of about 500 ms and
that the reversal of the magnetization then occurs in a few hundreds of
milliseconds. These features suggest an unusual propagation of the reversal,
which might be due to the monopole motion. The avalanche fields seem to be
reproducible in a given direction for different samples, but they strongly
depend on the initial state of magnetization and on how the initial state was
achieved.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figure
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