No Arabic abstract
In this paper we study the switching properties of the dynamics of magnetic moments, that interact with an elastic medium. To do so we construct a Hamiltonian framework, that can take into account the dynamics in phase space of the variables that describe the magnetic moments in a consistent way. It is convenient to describe the magnetic moments as bilinears of anticommuting variables that are their own conjugates. However, we show how it is possible to avoid having to deal directly with the anticommuting variables themselves, only using them to deduce non-trivial constraints on the magnetoelastic couplings. We construct the appropriate Poisson bracket and a geometric integration scheme, that is symplectic in the extended phase space and that allows us to study the switching properties of the magnetization, that are relevant for applications, for the case of a toy model for antiferromagnetic NiO, under external stresses. In the absence of magnetoelastic coupling, we recover the results reported in the literature and in our previous studies. In the presence of the magnetoelastic coupling, the characteristic oscillations of the mechanical system have repercussions on the Neel order parameter dynamics. This is particularly striking for the spin accumulation which is more than doubled by the coupling to the strain ; here as well, the mechanical oscillations are reflected on the magnetic dynamics. As a consequence of such a stress induced strain, the switching time of the magnetization is slightly faster and the amplitude of the magnetization enhanced.
We here report magnetostriction measurements under pulsed megagauss fields using a high-speed 100 MHz strain monitoring system devised using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technique with optical filter method. The optical filter method is a detection scheme of the strain of FBG, where the changing Bragg wavelength of the FBG reflection is converted to the intensity of reflected light to enable the 100 MHz measurement. In order to show the usefulness and reliability of the method, we report the measurements for solid oxygen, spin-controlled crystal, and volborthite, a deformed Kagom{e} quantum spin lattice, using static magnetic fields up to 7 T and non-destructive millisecond pulse magnets up to 50 T. Then, we show the application of the method for the magnetostriction measurements of CaV$_{4}$O$_{9}$, a two-dimensional antiferromagnet with spin-halves, and LaCoO$_{3}$, an anomalous spin-crossover oxide, in the megagauss fields.
We report x-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, $^{1}$H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and muon spin relaxation ($mu$SR) measurements, as well as density-functional band-structure calculations for the frustrated $S=3/2$ triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet (TLHAF) $alpha$-HCrO$_{2}$ (trigonal, space group: $Rbar{3}m$). This compound undergoes a clear magnetic transition at $T_{rm N} simeq 22.5$~K, as seen from the drop in the muon paramagnetic fraction and concurrent anomalies in the magnetic susceptibility and specific heat. Local probes (NMR and $mu$SR) reveal a broad regime with slow fluctuations down to $0.7,T_{rm N}$, this temperature corresponding to the maximum in the $mu$SR relaxation rate and in the NMR wipe-out. From the comparison with NaCrO$_{2}$ and $alpha$-KCrO$_{2}$, the fluctuating regime and slow dynamics below $T_{rm N}$ appear to be hallmarks of the TLHAF with $ABC$ stacking that leads to a frustration of interlayer couplings between the triangular planes. This interlayer frustration is a powerful lever to generate spin states with persistent dynamics and may bear implications to spin-liquid candidates with the triangular geometry.
In the scientific description of unconventional transport properties of oxides (spin-dependent transport, superconductivity etc.), the spin-state degree of freedom plays a fundamental role. Because of this, temperature- or magnetic field-induced spin-state transitions are in the focus of solid-state physics. Cobaltites, e.g. LaCoO3, are prominent examples showing these spin transitions. However, the microscopic nature of the spontaneous spin crossover in LaCoO3 is still controversial. Here we report magnetostriction measurements on LaCoO3 in magnetic fields up to 70 T to study the sharp, field-induced transition at Hc ~ 60 T. Measurements of both longitudinal and transversal magnetostriction allow us to separate magnetovolume and magnetodistortive changes. We find a large increase in volume, but only a very small increase in tetragonal distortion at Hc. The results, supported by electronic energy calculations by the configuration interaction cluster method, provide compelling evidence that above Hc LaCoO3 adopts a correlated low spin/high spin state.
A high-speed 100 MHz strain monitor using a fiber Bragg grating, an optical filter, and a mode-locked optical fiber laser has been devised, which has a resolution of $Delta L/Lsim10^{-4}$. The strain monitor is sufficiently fast and robust for the magnetostriction measurements of magnetic materials under ultrahigh magnetic fields generated with destructive pulse magnets, where the sweep rate is in the range of 10-100 T/$mu$s. As a working example, the magnetostriction of LaCoO$_{3}$ was measured at room temperature, 115 K, and 7$sim$4.2 K up to a maximum magnetic field of 150 T. The smooth $B^{2}$ dependence and the first-order transition were observed at 115 K and 7$sim$4.2 K, respectively, reflecting the field-induced spin-state evolution.
The magnetic properties of a new family of molecular-based quasi-two dimension $S=1/2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnets are reported. Three compounds, ($Cu(pz)_2(ClO_4)_2$, $Cu(pz)_2(BF_4)_2$, and $[Cu(pz)_2(NO_3)](PF_6)$) contain similar planes of Cu$^{2+}$ ions linked into magnetically square lattices by bridging pyrazine molecules (pz = $C_4H_4N_2$). The anions provide charge balance as well as isolation between the layers. Single crystal measurements of susceptibility and magnetization, as well as muon spin relaxation studies, reveal low ratios of N{e}el temperatures to exchange strengths ($4.25 / 17.5 = 0.243$, $3.80/15.3=0.248$, and $3.05/10.8=0.282$, respectively) while the ratio of the anisotropy fields $H_A$ (kOe) to the saturation field $H_mathrm{SAT}$ (kOe) are small ($2.6/490 = 5.3times10^{-3}$, $2.4/430=5.5times10^{-3}$, and $0.07/300=2.3times10^{-4}$, respectively), demonstrating close approximations to a 2D Heisenberg model. The susceptibilities of ClO$_4$ and BF$_4$ show evidence of an exchange anisotropy crossover (Heisenberg to $XY$) at low temperatures; their ordering transitions are primarily driven by the $XY$ behavior with the ultimate 3D transition appearing parasitically. The PF$_6$ compound remains Heisenberg-like at all temperatures, with its transition to the N{e}el state due to the interlayer interactions. Effects of field-induced anisotropy have been observed.