Role of magnetic and orbital ordering at the metal-insulator transition in NdNiO3

Soft x-ray resonant scattering at the Ni L2,3 edges is used to test models of magnetic and orbital-ordering below the metal-insulator transition in NdNiO3. The large branching ratio of the L3 to L2 intensities of the (1/2,0,1/2) reflection and the observed azimuthal angle and polarization dependence originates from a non collinear magnetic structure. The absence of an orbital signal and the non collinear magnetic structure show that the nickelates are materials for which orbital ordering is absent at the metal-insulator transition.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, Physical Review B rapid communication, to be publishe

Crystal Symmetry Lowering in Chiral Multiferroic Ba3_3TaFe3_3Si2_2O14_{14} observed by X-Ray Magnetic Scattering

Chiral multiferroic langasites have attracted attention due to their doubly-chiral magnetic ground state within an enantiomorphic crystal. We report on a detailed resonant soft X-ray diffraction study of the multiferroic Ba$_3$TaFe$_3$Si$_2$O$_{14}$ at the Fe $L_{2,3}$ and oxygen $K$ edges. Below $T_N$ ($\approx27K$) we observe the satellite reflections $(0,0,\tau)$, $(0,0,2\tau)$, $(0,0,3\tau)$ and $(0,0,1-3\tau)$ where $\tau \approx 0.140 \pm 0.001$. The dependence of the scattering intensity on X-ray polarization and azimuthal angle indicate that the odd harmonics are dominated by the out-of-plane ($\mathbf{\hat{c}}$-axis) magnetic dipole while the $(0,0,2\tau)$ originates from the electron density distortions accompanying magnetic order. We observe dissimilar energy dependences of the diffraction intensity of the purely magnetic odd-harmonic satellites at the Fe $L_3$ edge. Utilizing first-principles calculations, we show that this is a consequence of the loss of threefold crystal symmetry in the multiferroic phase

Chiral properties of hematite ({\alpha}-Fe2O3) inferred from resonant Bragg diffraction using circularly polarized x-rays

Chiral properties of the two phases - collinear motif (below Morin transition temperature, TM=250 K) and canted motif (above TM) - of magnetically ordered hematite ({\alpha}-Fe2O3) have been identified in single crystal resonant x-ray Bragg diffraction, using circular polarized incident x-rays tuned near the iron K-edge. Magneto-electric multipoles, including an anapole, fully characterize the high-temperature canted phase, whereas the low-temperature collinear phase supports both parity-odd and parity-even multipoles that are time-odd. Orbital angular momentum accompanies the collinear motif, while it is conspicuously absent with the canted motif. Intensities have been successfully confronted with analytic expressions derived from an atomic model fully compliant with chemical and magnetic structures. Values of Fe atomic multipoles previously derived from independent experimental data, are shown to be completely trustworthy

Doping and temperature dependence of Mn 3d states in A-site ordered manganites

We present a systematic study of the electronic structure in A-site ordered manganites as function of doping and temperature. The energy dependencies observed with soft x-ray resonant diffraction (SXRD) at the Mn L_{2,3} edges are compared with structural investigations using neutron powder diffraction as well as with cluster calculations. The crystal structures obtained with neutron powder diffraction reflect the various orbital and charge ordered phases and show an increase of the Mn-O-Mn bond angle as function of doping and temperature. Cluster calculations show that the observed spectral changes in SXRD as a function of doping are more pronounced than expected from an increase in bandwitdh due to the increase in Mn-O-Mn bond angle, and are best described by holes that are distributed at the neighbouring oxygen ions. These holes are not directly added to the Mn 3d shell, but centered at the Mn site. In contrast, the spectral changes in SXRD as function of temperature are best described by an increase of magnetic correlations. This demonstrates the strong correlations between orbitals and magnetic moments of the 3d states