51 research outputs found
Non-cyclic Geometric Phase due to Spatial Evolution in a Neutron Interferometer
We present a split-beam neutron interferometric experiment to test the
non-cyclic geometric phase tied to the spatial evolution of the system: the
subjacent two-dimensional Hilbert space is spanned by the two possible paths in
the interferometer and the evolution of the state is controlled by phase
shifters and absorbers. A related experiment was reported previously by
Hasegawa et al. [Phys. Rev. A 53, 2486 (1996)] to verify the cyclic spatial
geometric phase. The interpretation of this experiment, namely to ascribe a
geometric phase to this particular state evolution, has met severe criticism
from Wagh [Phys. Rev. A 59, 1715 (1999)]. The extension to a non-cyclic
evolution manifests the correctness of the interpretation of the previous
experiment by means of an explicit calculation of the non-cyclic geometric
phase in terms of paths on the Bloch-sphere.Comment: 4 pages, revtex
Spin-phonon coupling in antiferromagnetic chromium spinels
The temperature dependence of eigenfrequencies and intensities of the IR
active modes has been investigated for the antiferromagnetic chromium spinel
compounds CdCr2O4, ZnCr2O4, ZnCr2S4, ZnCr2Se4, and HgCr2S4 by IR spectroscopy
for temperatures from 5 K to 300 K. At the transition into the magnetically
ordered phases, and driven by spin-phonon coupling, most compounds reveal
significant splittings of the phonon modes. This is true for geometrically
frustrated CdCr2O4, and ZnCr2O4, for bond frustrated ZnCr2S4 and for ZnCr2Se4,
which also is bond frustrated, but dominated by ferromagnetic exchange. The
pattern of splitting is different for the different compounds and crucially
depends on the nature of frustration and of the resulting spin order. HgCr2S4,
which is almost ferromagnetic, exhibits no splitting of the eigenfrequencies,
but shows significant shifts due to ferromagnetic spin fluctuations.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure
Broadband dielectric response of CaCu3Ti4O12: From dc to the electronic transition regime
We report on phonon properties and electronic transitions in CaCu3Ti4O12, a
material which reveals a colossal dielectric constant at room temperature
without any ferroelectric transition. The results of far- and mid-infrared
measurements are compared to those obtained by broadband dielectric and
millimeter-wave spectroscopy on the same single crystal. The unusual
temperature dependence of phonon eigenfrequencies, dampings and ionic plasma
frequencies of low lying phonon modes are analyzed and discussed in detail.
Electronic excitations below 4 eV are identified as transitions between full
and empty hybridized oxygen-copper bands and between oxygen-copper and
unoccupied Ti 3d bands. The unusually small band gap determined from the
dc-conductivity (~200 meV) compares well with the optical results.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure
Phonon anomalies and charge dynamics in Fe_{1-x}Cu_{x}Cr_{2}S_{4} single crystals
A detailed investigation of phonon excitations and charge carrier dynamics in
single crystals of Fe_{1-x}Cu_{x}Cr_{2}S_{4} (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5) has been
performed by using infrared spectroscopy. In FeCr_{2}S_{4} the phonon
eigenmodes are strongly affected by the onset of magnetic order. Despite
enhanced screening effects, a continuous evolution of the phonon excitations
can be observed in the doped compounds with x = 0.2 (metallic) and x = 0.4, 0.5
(bad metals), but the effect of magnetic ordering on the phonons is strongly
reduced compared to x = 0. The Drude-like charge-carrier contribution to the
optical conductivity in the doped samples indicates that the colossal
magneto-resistance effect results from the suppression of spin-disorder
scattering.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Coupling of phonons and electromagnons in GdMnO_3
The infrared and Terahertz properties of GdMnO_3 have been investigated as
function of temperature and magnetic field, with special emphasis on the phase
boundary between the incommensurate and the canted antiferromagnetic
structures. The heterogeneous incommensurate phase reveals strong
magnetodielectric effects, characterized by significant magnetoelectric
contributions to the static dielectric permittivity and by the existence of
electrically excited magnons (electromagnons). In the commensurate canted
antiferromagnetic phase the magnetoelectric contributions to the dielectric
constant and electromagnons are suppressed. The corresponding spectral weight
is transferred to the lowest lattice vibration demonstrating the strong
coupling of phonons with electromagnons.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Polar phonons and spin-phonon coupling in HgCr2S4 and CdCr2S4
Polar phonons of HgCr2S4 and CdCr2S4 are studied by far-infrared spectroscopy
as a function of temperature and external magnetic field. Eigenfrequencies,
damping constants, effective plasma frequencies and Lyddane-Sachs-Teller
relations, and effective charges are determined. Ferromagnetic CdCr2S4 and
antiferromagnetic HgCr2S4 behave rather similar. Both compounds are dominated
by ferromagnetic exchange and although HgCr2S4 is an antiferromagnet, no phonon
splitting can be observed at the magnetic phase transition. Temperature and
magnetic field dependence of the eigenfrequencies show no anomalies indicating
displacive polar soft mode behavior. However, significant effects are detected
in the temperature dependence of the plasma frequencies indicating changes in
the nature of the bonds and significant charge transfer. In HgCr2S4 we provide
experimental evidence that the magnetic field dependence of specific polar
modes reveal shifts exactly correlated with the magnetization showing
significant magneto-dielectric effects even at infrared frequencies.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
Optical phonons, spin correlations, and spin-phonon coupling in the frustrated pyrochlore magnets CdCr2O4 and ZnCr2O4
We report on infrared, Raman, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat
measurements on CdCr2O4 and ZnCr2O4 single crystals. We estimate the
nearest-neighbor and next-nearest neighbor exchange constants from the magnetic
susceptibility and extract the spin-spin correlation functions obtained from
the magnetic susceptibility and the magnetic contribution to the specific heat.
By comparing with the frequency shift of the infrared optical phonons above TN
, we derive estimates for the spin-phonon coupling constants in these systems.
The observation of phonon modes which are both Raman and infrared active
suggest the loss of inversion symmetry below the Neel temperature in CdCr2O4 in
agreement with theoretical predictions by Chern and coworkers [Phys. Rev. B 74,
060405 (2006)]. In ZnCr2O4 several new modes appear below TN, but no phonon
modes could be detected which are both Raman and infrared active indicating the
conservation of inversion symmetry in the low temperature phase.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure
Optical properties of ZnCr2Se4 - Spin-phonon coupling and electronic d-d-like excitations
We studied the optical properties of antiferromagnetic ZnCr2Se4 by infrared
spectroscopy up to 28,000 cm-1 and for temperatures from 5 to 295 K. At the
magnetic phase transition at 21 K, one of the four phonon modes reveals a clear
splitting of 3 cm-1 as a result of spin-phonon coupling, the other three
optical eigenmodes only show shifts of the eigenfrequencies. The
antiferromagnetic ordering and the concomitant splitting of the phonon mode can
be suppressed in a magnetic field of 7 T. At higher energies we observed a
broad excitation band which is dominated by a two-peak-structure at about
18,000 cm-1 and 22,000 cm-1, respectively. These energies are in good agreement
with the expected spin-allowed crystal-field transition of the Cr3+ ions. The
unexpected strength of these forbidden onsite d-d transitions is attributed to
a considerable hybridization of the selenium p with the chromium d orbitals.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
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