Structural Distortion-Induced Magnetoelastic Locking in Sr\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eIrO\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3e Revealed through Nonlinear Optical Harmonic Generation

We report a global structural distortion in Sr2IrO4 using spatially resolved optical second and third harmonic generation rotational anisotropy measurements. A symmetry lowering from an I41/acd to I41/a space group is observed both above and below the Néel temperature that arises from a staggered tetragonal distortion of the oxygen octahedra. By studying an effective superexchange Hamiltonian that accounts for this lowered symmetry, we find that perfect locking between the octahedral rotation and magnetic moment canting angles can persist even in the presence of large noncubic local distortions. Our results explain the origin of the forbidden Bragg peaks recently observed in neutron diffraction experiments and reconcile the observations of strong tetragonal distortion and perfect magnetoelastic locking in Sr2IrO4

A structural distortion induced magneto-elastic locking in Sr2_2IrO4_4 revealed through nonlinear optical harmonic generation

We report a global structural distortion in Sr$_2$IrO$_4$ using spatially resolved optical second and third harmonic generation rotational anisotropy measurements. A symmetry lowering from an $I4_{1}/acd$ to $I4_{1}/a$ space group is observed both above and below the N\'{e}el temperature that arises from a staggered tetragonal distortion of the oxygen octahedra. By studying an effective super-exchange Hamiltonian that accounts for this lowered symmetry, we find that perfect locking between the octahedral rotation and magnetic moment canting angles can persist even in the presence of large non-cubic local distortions. Our results explain the origin of the forbidden Bragg peaks recently observed in neutron diffraction experiments and reconcile the observations of strong tetragonal distortion and perfect magneto-elastic locking in Sr$_2$IrO$_4$.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Competing magnetic interactions in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4

The antiferromagnetic (AFM) compound MnBi2Te4 is suggested to be the first realization of an AFM topological insulator. We report on inelastic neutron scattering studies of the magnetic interactions in MnBi2Te4 that possess ferromagnetic triangular layers with AFM interlayer coupling. The spin waves display a large spin gap and pairwise exchange interactions within the triangular layer are long ranged and frustrated by large next-nearest neighbor AFM exchange. The degree of frustration suggests proximity to a variety of magnetic phases, potentially including skyrmion phases, which could be accessed in chemically tuned compounds or upon the application of symmetry-breaking fields

Competing magnetic interactions in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4

The antiferromagnetic (AFM) compound MnBi2Te4 is suggested to be the first realization of an AFM topological insulator. We report on inelastic neutron scattering studies of the magnetic interactions in MnBi2Te4 that possess ferromagnetic triangular layers with AFM interlayer coupling. The spin waves display a large spin gap and pairwise exchange interactions within the triangular layer are long ranged and frustrated by large next-nearest neighbor AFM exchange. The degree of frustration suggests proximity to a variety of magnetic phases, potentially including skyrmion phases, which could be accessed in chemically tuned compounds or upon the application of symmetry-breaking fields.</p

Competing magnetic interactions in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4

The antiferromagnetic (AFM) compound MnBi2Te4 is suggested to be the first realization of an AFM topological insulator. We report on inelastic neutron scattering studies of the magnetic interactions in MnBi2Te4 that possess ferromagnetic triangular layers with AFM interlayer coupling. The spin waves display a large spin gap and pairwise exchange interactions within the triangular layer are long ranged and frustrated by large next-nearest neighbor AFM exchange. The degree of frustration suggests proximity to a variety of magnetic phases, potentially including skyrmion phases, which could be accessed in chemically tuned compounds or upon the application of symmetry-breaking fields.This article is published as Li, Bing, J-Q. Yan, D. M. Pajerowski, Elijah Gordon, A-M. Nedić, Y. Sizyuk, Liqin Ke, P. P. Orth, D. Vaknin, and R. J. McQueeney. "Competing Magnetic Interactions in the Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi 2 Te 4." Physical Review Letters 124, no. 16 (2020): 167204. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.167204. Posted with permission.</p

Robust spin correlations at high magnetic fields in the harmonic honeycomb iridates

The complex antiferromagnetic orders observed in the honeycomb iridates are a double-edged sword in the search for a quantum spin-liquid: both attesting that the magnetic interactions provide many of the necessary ingredients, while simultaneously impeding access. Focus has naturally been drawn to the unusual magnetic orders that hint at the underlying spin correlations. However, the study of any particular broken symmetry state generally provides little clue about the possibility of other nearby ground states. Here we use magnetic fields approaching 100 Tesla to reveal the extent of the spin correlations in.-lithium iridate. We find that a small component of field along the magnetic easy-axis melts long-range order, revealing a bistable, strongly correlated spin state. Far from the usual destruction of antiferromagnetism via spin polarization, the high-field state possesses only a small fraction of the total iridium moment, without evidence for long-range order up to the highest attainable magnetic fields