We report a neutron scattering study of the metallic triangular lattice antiferromagnet PdCrO$_2$. Powder neutron diffraction measurements confirm that the crystalline space group symmetry remains $Rbar{3}m$ below $T_N$. This implies that magnetic interactions consistent with the crystal symmetry do not stabilise the non-coplanar magnetic structure which was one of two structures previously proposed on the basis of single crystal neutron diffraction measurements. Inelastic neutron scattering measurements find two gaps at low energies which can be explained as arising from a dipolar-type exchange interaction. This symmetric anisotropic interaction also stabilises a magnetic structure very similar to the coplanar magnetic structure which was also suggested by the single crystal diffraction study. The higher energy magnon dispersion can be modelled by linear spin wave theory with exchange interactions up to sixth nearest-neighbors, but discrepancies remain which hint at additional effects unexplained by the linear theory.
CaV$_2$O$_4$ is a spin-1 antiferromagnet, where the magnetic vanadium ions are arranged on quasi-one-dimensional (1D) zig-zag chains with potentially frustrated antiferromagnetic exchange interactions. High temperature susceptibility and single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements are used to deduce the non-collinear magnetic structure, dominant exchange interactions and orbital configurations. The results suggest that at high temperatures CaV$_2$O$_4$ behaves as a Haldane chain, but at low temperatures, orbital ordering lifts the frustration and it becomes a spin-1 ladder.
Compounds with two-dimensional (2D) layers of magnetic ions weakly connected by van der Waals bonding offer routes to enhance quantum behavior, stimulating both fundamental and applied interest. CrPS4 is one such magnetic van der Waals material, however, it has undergone only limited investigation. Here we present a comprehensive series of neutron scattering measurements to determine the magnetic structure and exchange interactions. The observed magnetic excitations allow a high degree of constraint on the model parameters not normally associated with measurements on a powder sample. The results demonstrate the 2D nature of the magnetic interactions, while also revealing the importance of interactions along 1D chains within the layers. The subtle role of competing interactions is observed, which manifest in a non-trivial magnetic transition and a tunable magnetic structure in a small applied magnetic field through a spin-flop transition. Our results on the bulk compound provide insights that can be applied to an understanding of the behavior of reduced layer CrPS4.
We present an experimental investigation of the magnetic structure in a tetramer system SeCuO$_3$ using neutron diffraction and nuclear resonance techniques. We establish a non-collinear, commensurate antiferromagnetic ordering with a propagation vector $textbf{k} = left(0,0,1 right)$. The order parameter follows a critical behavior near $T_N = 8$ K, with a critical exponent $beta = 0.32$ in agreement with a 3D universality class. Evidence is presented that a singlet state starts to form on tetramers at temperatures as high as 200 K, and its signature is preserved within the ordered state through a strong renormalization of the ordered magnetic moment on two non-equivalent copper sites, $m_{Cu1} approx 0.4 mu_B$ and $m_{Cu2} approx 0.7 mu_B$ at 1.5 K.
The origin of non-collinear magnetic order in UO$_{2}$ is studied by an ab initio dynamical-mean-field-theory framework in conjunction with a linear-response approach for evaluating inter-site superexchange interactions between U 5$f^{2}$ shells. The calculated quadrupole-quadruple superexchange interactions are found to unambiguously resolve the frustration of face-centered-cubic U sublattice toward stabilization of the experimentally observed non-collinear 3k-magnetic order. Therefore, the exotic 3k antiferromagnetic order in UO$_{2}$ can be accounted for by a purely electronic exchange mechanism acting in the undistorted cubic lattice structure. The quadrupolar short-range order above magnetic ordering temperature $T_N$ is found to qualitatively differ from the long-range order below $T_N$.
We report the magnetic diffraction pattern and spin wave excitations in (CD$_3$)$_2$ND$_2$[Mn(DCO$_2$)$_3$] measured using elastic and inelastic neutron scattering. The magnetic structure is shown to be a G-type antiferromagnet with moments pointing along the $b$ axis. By comparison with simulations based on linear spin wave theory, we have developed a model for the magnetic interactions in this multiferroic metal-organic framework material. The interactions form a three-dimensional network with antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbour interactions along three directions of $J_1=-0.103(8)$~meV, $J_2=-0.032(8)$~meV and $J_3=-0.035(8)$~meV.