18 research outputs found
Spin-stretching modes in anisotropic magnets: spin-wave excitations in the multiferroic Ba2CoGe2O7
We studied spin excitations of the multiferroic Ba2CoGe2O7 in high magnetic
fields up to 33 T. In the electron spin resonance and far infrared absorption
spectra we found several spin excitations beyond the two conventional magnon
modes expected for such a two-sublattice antiferromagnet. We show that a
multi-boson spin-wave theory can capture these unconventional modes, that
include spin-stretching modes associated with an oscillating magnetic dipole
(or only quadrupole) moment. The lack of the inversion symmetry allows these
modes to become electric dipole active. We expect that the spin-stretching
modes can be generally observed in inelastic neutron scattering and light
absorption experiments in a broad class of ordered S > 1/2 spin systems with
strong single-ion anisotropy and/or non-centrosymmetric lattice structure.Comment: 5+4 pages, 3 figures, supplement added, manuscript revise
Infrared and optical properties of pure and cobalt-doped LuNi_2B_2C
We present optical conductivity data for Lu(NiCo)BC over
a wide range of frequencies and temperatures for x=0 and x=0.09. Both materials
show evidence of being good Drude metals with the infrared data in reasonable
agreement with dc resistivity measurements at low frequencies. An absorption
threshold is seen at approximately 700 cm-1. In the cobalt-doped material we
see a superconducting gap in the conductivity spectrum with an absorption onset
at 24 +/- 2 cm-1 = 3.9$ +/- 0.4 k_BT_c suggestive of weak to moderately strong
coupling. The pure material is in the clean limit and no gap can be seen. We
discuss the data in terms of the electron-phonon interaction and find that it
can be fit below 600 cm-1 with a plasma frequency of 3.3 eV and an
electron-phonon coupling constant lambda_{tr}=0.33 using an alpha^{2}F(omega)
spectrum fit to the resistivity.Comment: 10 pages with 10 embedded figures, submitted to PR
Chirality of Matter Shows Up via Spin Excitations
Right- and left-handed circularly polarized light interact differently with
electronic charges in chiral materials. This asymmetry generates the natural
circular dichroism and gyrotropy, also known as the optical activity. Here we
demonstrate that optical activity is not a privilege of the electronic charge
excitations but it can also emerge for the spin excitations in magnetic matter.
The square-lattice antiferromagnet BaCoGeO offers an ideal arena to
test this idea, since it can be transformed to a chiral form by application of
external magnetic fields. As a direct proof of the field-induced chiral state,
we observed large optical activity when the light is in resonance with spin
excitations at sub-terahertz frequencies. In addition, we found that the
magnetochiral effect, the absorption difference for the light beams propagating
parallel and anti-parallel to the applied magnetic field, has an exceptionally
large amplitude close to 100%. All these features are ascribed to the
magnetoelectric nature of spin excitations as they interact both with the
electric and magnetic components of light
Electronic Properties of \alpha'-NaV_2O_5
We studied electronic excitations in NaV2O5 by Raman. Three main topics are
discussed. The first is related to a broad continuum of excitations found in
the 200-1500 cm-1 range and peaked around 680 cm-1. The resonant Raman profile
of this excitation, the polarization selection rules and the presence of its
overtone in resonance conditions allowed us to conclude that the origin of this
feature is magnetic. We proposed that it arises as a result of light coupling
to multi-spinon Raman excitations. Within this scenario we also argued for a
scenario explaining the puzzling temperature dependence of the magnetic
continuum in terms of an increasing role of next nearest neighbor frustration
and in the context of a strongly fluctuating low temperature phase. The second
topic is related to the observation of a folded S = 1 magnetic mode which
displayed very clear selection rules as a function of the magnetic field
orientation. We proposed that the coupling of the photon field to this
excitation takes place via the antisymmetric, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM),
interaction which, in a simple dimer model, can also explain the observed
selection rules: no splitting or shifts for magnetic fields parallel to the DM
vector and the observation of two (upward and downward) dispersing branches for
fields perpendicular to the DM vector. Thirdly, we discuss the nature of
several new resonances seen below T_c and focus on the possibilities that they
are either folded phonons or singlet bound states of two triplet excitations.
In particular we emphasized the existence of two modes at 66 and 105 cm-1, the
first one being degenerate with one of the spin gap modes.Comment: 29 pages, 19 figure
Global CO2 emissions from dry inland waters share common drivers across ecosystems
International audienceMany inland waters exhibit complete or partial desiccation, or have vanished due to global change, exposing sediments to the atmosphere. Yet, data on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from these sediments are too scarce to upscale emissions for global estimates or to understand their fundamental drivers. Here, we present the results of a global survey covering 196 dry inland waters across diverse ecosystem types and climate zones.We show that their CO2 emissions share fundamental drivers and constitute a substantial fraction of the carbon cycled by inland waters. CO2 emissions were consistent across ecosystem types and climate zones, with local characteristics explaining much of the variability. Accounting for such emissions increases global estimates of carbon emissions from inland waters by 6% (~0.12 Pg C y−1). Our results indicate that emissions from dry inland waters represent a significant and likely increasing component of the inland waters carbon cycle
Global CO2 emissions from dry inland waters share common drivers across ecosystems
Many inland waters exhibit complete or partial desiccation, or have vanished due to global change, exposing sediments to the atmosphere. Yet, data on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from these sediments are too scarce to upscale emissions for global estimates or to understand their fundamental drivers. Here, we present the results of a global survey covering 196 dry inland waters across diverse ecosystem types and climate zones. We show that their CO2 emissions share fundamental drivers and constitute a substantial fraction of the carbon cycled by inland waters. CO2 emissions were consistent across ecosystem types and climate zones, with local characteristics explaining much of the variability. Accounting for such emissions increases global estimates of carbon emissions from inland waters by 6% (~0.12 Pg C y−1). Our results indicate that emissions from dry inland waters represent a significant and likely increasing component of the inland waters carbon cycle