No Arabic abstract
Low frequency spin fluctuation dynamics in paramagnetic spinel LiV$_2$O$_4$, a rare 3$d$-electron heavy fermion system, is investigated. A parametrized self-consistent renormalization (SCR) theory of the dominant AFM spin fluctuations is developed and applied to describe temperature and pressure dependences of the low-$T$ nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ in this material. The experimental data for $1/T_1$ available down to $sim 1$K are well reproduced by the SCR theory, showing the development of AFM spin fluctuations as the paramagnetic metal approaches a magnetic instability under the applied pressure. The low-$T$ upturn of $1/T_1T$ detected below 0.6 K under the highest applied pressure of 4.74 GPa is explained as the nuclear spin relaxation effect due to the spin freezing of magnetic defects unavoidably present in the measured sample of LiV$_2$O$_4$.
A phenomenological description for the dynamical spin susceptibility $chi({bf q},omega;T)$ observed in inelastic neutron scattering measurements on powder samples of LiV$_2$O$_4$ is developed in terms of the parametrized self-consistent renormalization (SCR) theory of spin fluctuations. Compatible with previous studies at $Tto 0$, a peculiar distribution in ${bf q}$-space of strongly enhanced and slow spin fluctuations at $q sim Q_c simeq$ 0.6 $AA^{-1}$ in LiV$_2$O$_4$ is involved to derive the mode-mode coupling term entering the basic equation of the SCR theory. The equation is solved self-consistently with the parameter values found from a fit of theoretical results to experimental data. For low temperatures, $T lesssim 30$K, where the SCR theory is more reliable, the observed temperature variations of the static spin susceptibility $chi(Q_c;T)$ and the relaxation rate $Gamma_Q(T)$ at $qsim Q_c$ are well reproduced by those suggested by the theory. For $Tgtrsim 30$K, the present SCR is capable in predicting only main trends in $T$-dependences of $chi(Q_c;T)$ and $Gamma_Q(T)$. The discussion is focused on a marked evolution (from $q sim Q_c$ at $Tto 0$ towards low $q$ values at higher temperatures) of the dominant low-$omega$ integrated neutron scattering intensity $I(q; T)$.
Spin fluctuations were studied over a wide momentum ($hbar Q$) and energy ($E$) space in the frustrated $d$-electron heavy-fermion metal LiV$_2$O$_4$ by time-of-flight inelastic neutron scattering. We observed the overall $Q$$-$$E$ evolutions near the characteristic $Q=0.6$ {AA}$^{-1}$ peak and found another weak broad magnetic peak around 2.4 {AA}$^{-1}$. The data are described by a simple response function, a highly itinerant magnetic form factor, and antiferromagnetic short-range spatial correlations, indicating that heavy-fermion formation is attributable to spin-orbit fluctuations with orbital hybridization.
We determined the magnetic structure of CuCr$_2$O$_4$ using neutron diffraction and irreducible representation analysis. The measurements identified a new phase between 155 K and 125 K as nearly collinear magnetic ordering in the Cr pyrochlore lattice. Below 125 K, a Cu-Cr ferrimagnetic component develops the noncollinear order. Along with the simultaneously obtained O positions and the quantum effect of spin-orbit coupling, the magnetic structure is understood to involve spin-orbit ordering, accompanied by an appreciably deformed orbital of presumably spin-only Cu and Cr.
Muon spin relaxation ($mu$SR) measurements were carried out on SrDy$_2$O$_4$, a frustrated magnet featuring short range magnetic correlations at low temperatures. Zero-field muon spin depolarization measurements demonstrate that fast magnetic fluctuations are present from $T=300$ K down to 20 mK. The coexistence of short range magnetic correlations and fluctuations at $T=20$ mK indicates that SrDy$_2$O$_4$ features a spin liquid ground state. Large longitudinal fields affect weakly the muon spin depolarization, also suggesting the presence of fast fluctuations. For a longitudinal field of $mu_0H=2$ T, a non-relaxing asymmetry contribution appears below $T=6$ K, indicating considerable slowing down of the magnetic fluctuations as field-induced magnetically-ordered phases are approached.
We describe powder and single-crystal inelastic neutron scattering experiments on a spinel-type antiferromagnet GeCo$_2$O$_4$, represented by an effective total angular momentum J_eff = 1/2. Several types of non-dispersive short-range magnetic excitations were discovered. The scattering intensity maps in $vec{Q}$ space are well reproduced by dynamical structure factor analyses using molecular model Hamiltonians. The results of analyses strongly suggest that the molecular excitations below T_N arise from a hidden molecular-singlet ground state, in which ferromagnetic subunits are antiferromagnetically coupled. The quasielastic excitations above T_N are interpreted as its precursor. A combination of frustration and J_eff = 1/2 might induce these quantum phenomena.