Comment on "Magnetoelastic model for the relaxation of lanthanide ions in YBa2Cu3O7-d observed by neutron scattering"

Lovesey and Staub have argued [S.W. Lovesey and U. Staub, Phys. Rev. B 61, 9130 (2000)] that experimental data on the temperature dependence of the paramagnetic relaxation of lanthanide ions doped into YBa2Cu3O6+x are in agreement with the predictions of a model that describes the relaxation as due to the scattering of phonons via a magnetoelastic interaction. By generalising their model I show that the level of agreement is strongly dependent on the number of intermediate lanthanide energy levels included in the calculation, and that inclusion of a more complete set of levels leads to very different results that do not necessarily support the phonon damping picture.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Third graders speak: Experiences and perspectives of reading and writing in urban public schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perspectives of reading and writing among third grade students attending urban public schools. The study took place in a large urban district in the Northeastern United States and included two elementary schools, four classrooms, and 24 students. The study was designed and conducted as qualitative research. 24 students were interviewed at two different times in the school year using (1) a picture protocol for the first interview and (2) a semi-structured interview protocol for the second interview. Analysis of the 48 interviews yielded findings in three areas: (1) The role of choice in motivating and engaging readers and writers; (2) The importance of a working relationship between a teacher and student in the classroom; and (3) The distribution of reading levels in urban classrooms compared to those in middle-to-upper class public classrooms. The results confirmed the centrality of the student-teacher relationship. These findings have implications for effective teaching practices that include the ways in which the teacher organizes and arranges for instruction to meet the broad needs of students

Phonon Dispersion Relations in PrBa2Cu3O6+x (x ~ 0.2)

We report measurements of the phonon dispersion relations in non-superconducting, oxygen-deficient PrBa2Cu3O6+x (x ~ 0.2) by inelastic neutron scattering. The data are compared with a model of the lattice dynamics based on a common interaction potential. Good agreement is achieved for all but two phonon branches, which are significantly softer than predicted. These modes are found to arise predominantly from motion of the oxygen ions in the CuO2 planes. Analogous modes in YBa2Cu3O6 are well described by the common interaction potential model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Minor changes following referees' comment

Approaching the quantum critical point in a highly-correlated all-in-all-out antiferromagnet

Continuous quantum phase transition involving all-in–all-out (AIAO) antiferromagnetic order in strongly spin-orbit-coupled 5d compounds could give rise to various exotic electronic phases and strongly-coupled quantum critical phenomena. Here we experimentally trace the AIAO spin order in Sm₂Ir₂O₇ using direct resonant x-ray magnetic diffraction techniques under high pressure. The magnetic order is suppressed at a critical pressure P_c=6.30GPa, while the lattice symmetry remains in the cubic Fd−3m space group across the quantum critical point. Comparing pressure tuning and the chemical series R₂Ir₂O₇ reveals that the approach to the AIAO quantum phase transition is characterized by contrasting evolutions of the pyrochlore lattice constant a and the trigonal distortion surrounding individual Ir moments, which affects the 5d bandwidth and the Ising anisotropy, respectively. We posit that the opposite effects of pressure and chemical tuning lead to spin fluctuations with different Ising and Heisenberg character in the quantum critical region. Finally, the observed low pressure scale of the AIAO quantum phase transition in Sm₂Ir₂O₇ identifies a circumscribed region of P-T space for investigating the putative magnetic Weyl semimetal state

Spin reorientation transition in the incommensurate stripe-ordered phase of La3/2Sr1/2NiO4

The spin ordering of La3/2Sr1/2NiO4 was investigated by magnetization measurements, and by unpolarized- and polarized-neutron diffraction. Spin ordering with an incommensurability epsilon ~ 0.445 is observed below T_so ~ 80 K. On cooling, a spin reorientation is observed at 57 +/- 1 K, with the spin axes rotating from 52 +/- 4 degrees to 78 +/- 3 degrees. This is the first time a spin reorientation has been observed in a La2-xSrxNiO4+delta compound having incommensurate stripe order.Comment: REVTex 4. 4 pages including 4 figures. Minor changes to text. Accepted to be published in Physical Review

Paramagnon dispersion in β\beta-FeSe observed by Fe LL-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

We report an Fe $L$-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) study of the unusual superconductor $\beta$-FeSe. The high energy resolution of this RIXS experiment ($\approx\,$55$\,$meV FWHM) made it possible to resolve low-energy excitations of the Fe $3d$ manifold. These include a broad peak which shows dispersive trends between 100-200$\,$meV along the $(\pi,0)$ and $(\pi,\pi)$ directions of the one-Fe square reciprocal lattice, and which can be attributed to paramagnon excitations. The multi-band valence state of FeSe is among the most metallic in which such excitations have been discerned by soft x-ray RIXS