5 research outputs found
On the hierarchy of electronic and magnetic energy scales in novel 3d, 4d and 5d transition metal oxides probed by X-ray techniques
Transition metal oxides (TMOs) represent the natural playground for the investigation of the exotic phases produced by electronic correlations, which include high-temperature superconductivity, giant magnetoresistance and topological insulators. The peculiar electronic and magnetic properties of TMOs stem from the interplay between the electron-electron correlations, the crystal field and the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) of the transition metal (TM) d valence electrons. The balance of these energy scales significantly depends on the TM element considered: moving from the 3d to the 5d row of the periodic table, the electronic correlations decrease due to the larger size of the atomic orbitals, while SOC increases as a result of the increased atomic charge. In this work, I present three separate case studies of 3d, 4d and 5d TMOs which highlight the impact of the competing interactions just mentioned on the electronic and magnetic properties of the system. Concerning 3d TMOs, I investigate the magnetic ground state of a family of weak ferromagnets, where the weak SOC is responsible for the appearance of a net magnetisation in the main antiferromagnetic order. I then examine the intermediate case of the 4d oxide Ca2RuO4. Here, electronic correlations, SOC and octahedral distortions act on an equal footing to determine the TM ground state. In particular, I show how the crystal field tuning achieved by La substitution affects the electronic and magnetic properties. Finally, I address the spin-wave spectrum of the electron-doped perovskite iridate (Sr 1-x La x)2IrO4, where the strong SOC of 5d electrons gives rise to a spin-orbit entangled Mott state with peculiar exchange interactions. Most of the experimental findings are the results of measurements performed by means of several synchrotron radiation scattering and absorption techniques: the latter proved to be extremely powerful and versatile in the investigation of many aspects of the physics of the systems discussed
Anisotropic exchange and spin-wave damping in pure and electron-doped SrIrO
The collective magnetic excitations in the spin-orbit Mott insulator
(SrLa)IrO () were investigated by
means of resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. We report significant magnon
energy gaps at both the crystallographic and antiferromagnetic zone centers at
all doping levels, along with a remarkably pronounced momentum-dependent
lifetime broadening. The spin-wave gap is accounted for by a significant
anisotropy in the interactions between isospins, thus
marking the departure of SrIrO from the essentially isotropic
Heisenberg model appropriate for the superconducting cuprates.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Evolution of the magnetic excitations in NaOsO through its metal-insulator transition
The temperature dependence of the excitation spectrum in NaOsO
through its metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) at 410 K has been investigated
using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) at the Os L edge.
High resolution ( 56 meV) measurements show that the
well-defined, low energy magnons in the insulating state weaken and dampen upon
approaching the metallic state. Concomitantly, a broad continuum of excitations
develops which is well described by the magnetic fluctuations of a nearly
antiferromagnetic Fermi liquid. By revealing the continuous evolution of the
magnetic quasiparticle spectrum as it changes its character from itinerant to
localized, our results provide unprecedented insight into the nature of the MIT
in NaOsO.Comment: Accepted in Physical Review Letters, part of a joint submission to
Physical Review B. Supersedes arXiv:1707.0555