No Arabic abstract
We report a study of spin-waves in ferromagnetic La$_{1-x}$Ca$_{x}$MnO$_3$, at concentrations x=0.17 and x=0.2 very close to the metallic transition (x=0.225). Below T$_C$, in the quasi-metallic state (T=150K), nearly q-independent energy levels are observed. They are characteristic of standing spin waves confined into finite-size ferromagnetic domains, defined in {bf a, b) plane for x=0.17 and in all q-directions for x=0.2. They allow an estimation of the domain size, a few lattice spacings, and of the magnetic coupling constants inside the domains. These constants, anisotropic, are typical of an orbital-ordered state, allowing to characterize the domains as hole-poor. The precursor state of the CMR metallic phase appears, therefore, as an assembly of small orbital-ordered domains.
We describe the evolution of the static and dynamic spin correlations of La$_{1-x}$Ca$_x$MnO$_3$, for x=0.1, 0.125 and 0.2, where the system evolves from the canted magnetic state towards the insulating ferromagnetic state, approaching the metallic transition (x=0.22). In the x=0.1 sample, the observation of two spin wave branches typical of two distinct types of magnetic coupling, and of a modulation in the elastic diffuse scattering characteristic of ferromagnetic inhomogeneities, confirms the static and dynamic inhomogeneous features previously observed at x$<$0.1. The anisotropic q-dependence of the intensity of the low-energy spin wave suggests a bidimensionnal character for the static inhomogeneities. At x=0.125, which corresponds to the occurence of a ferromagnetic and insulating state, the two spin wave branches reduce to a single one, but anisotropic. At this concentration, an anomaly appears at {bf q$_0$}=(1.25,1.25,0), that could be related to an underlying periodicity, as arising from (1.5,1.5,0) superstructures. At x=0.2, the spin-wave branch is isotropic. In addition to the anomaly observed at q$_0$, extra magnetic excitations are observed at larger q, forming an optical branch. The two dispersion curves suggest an anti-crossing behavior at some {bf q$_0$} value, which could be explained by a folding due to an underlying perodicity involving four cubic lattice spacings.
We explore the magnetically-ordered ground state of the isovalently-substituted Mott-insulator Y$_{1-x}$La$_{x}$TiO$_{3}$ for $x$ $leq$ 0.3 via single crystal growth, magnetometry, neutron diffraction, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), muon spin rotation ($mu$SR) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). We find that the decrease in the magnetic transition temperature on approaching the ferromagnetic (FM) - antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase boundary at the La concentration $x_c$ $approx$ 0.3 is accompanied by a strong suppression of both bulk and local ordered magnetic moments, along with a volume-wise separation into magnetically-ordered and paramagnetic regions. The thermal phase transition does not show conventional second-order behavior, since neither a clear signature of dynamic critical behavior nor a power-law divergence of the magnetic correlation length is found for the studied substitution range; this finding becomes increasingly obvious with substitution. Finally, from SANS and magnetometry measurements, we discern a crossover from easy-axis to easy-plane magneto-crystalline anisotropy with increasing La substitution. These results indicate complex changes in magnetic structure upon approaching the phase boundary.
We report new zero-field muon spin relaxation and neutron spin echo measurements in ferromagnetic (FM) (La,Ca)MnO3 which taken together suggest two spatially separated regions in close proximity possessing very different Mn-ion spin dynamics. One region corresponds to an extended cluster which displays critical slowing down near Tc and an increasing volume fraction below Tc. The second region possesses more slowly fluctuating spins and a decreasing volume fraction below Tc. These data are discussed in terms of the growth of small polarons into overlapping regions of correlated spins below Tc, resulting in a microscopically inhomogeneous FM transition.
Here we study the effect of La doping in EuO thin films using SQUID magnetometry, muon spin rotation ($mu$SR), polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR), and density functional theory (DFT). The $mu$SR data shows that the La$_{0.15}$Eu$_{0.85}$O is homogeneously magnetically ordered up to its elevated $T_{rm C}$. It is concluded that bound magnetic polaron behavior does not explain the increase in $T_{rm C}$ and an RKKY-like interaction is consistent with the $mu$SR data. The estimation of the magnetic moment by DFT simulations concurs with the results obtained by PNR, showing a reduction of the magnetic moment per La$_{x}$Eu$_{1-x}$O for increasing lanthanum doping. This reduction of the magnetic moment is explained by the reduction of the number of Eu-4$f$ electrons present in all the magnetic interactions in EuO films. Finally, we show that an upwards shift of the Fermi energy with La or Gd doping gives rise to half-metallicity for doping levels as high as 3.2 %.
We study the structural, magnetic, transport and electronic properties of LaCoO$_3$ with Sr/Nb co-substitution, i.e., La$_{(1-2x)}$Sr$_{2x}$Co$_{(1-x)}$Nb$_{x}$O$_3$ using x-ray and neutron diffraction, dc and ac-magnetization, neutron depolarization, dc-resistivity and photoemission measurements. The powder x-ray and neutron diffraction data were fitted well with the rhombohedral crystal symmetry (space group textit{R$bar{3}$c}) in Rietveld refinement analysis. The calculated effective magnetic moment ($approx$3.85~$mu_B$) and average spin ($approx$1.5) of Co ions from the analysis of magnetic susceptibility data are consistent with 3+ state of Co ions in intermediate-spin (IS) and high-spin (HS) states in the ratio of $approx$50:50, i.e., spin-state of Co$^{3+}$ is preserved at least up to $x=$ 0.1 sample. Interestingly, the magnetization values were significantly increased with respect to the $x=$ 0 sample, and the M-H curves show non-saturated behavior up to an applied maximum magnetic field of $pm$70 kOe. The ac-susceptibility data show a shift in the freezing temperature with excitation frequency and the detailed analysis confirm the slower dynamics and a non-zero value of the Vogel-Fulcher temperature T$_0$, which suggests for the cluster spin glass. The unusual magnetic behavior indicates the presence of complex magnetic interactions at low temperatures. The dc-resistivity measurements show the insulating nature in all the samples. However, relatively large density of states $approx$10$^{22}$ eV$^{-1}$cm$^{-3}$ and low activation energy $approx$130~meV are found in $x=$ 0.05 sample. Using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, we study the core-level spectra of La 3$d$, Co 2$p$, Sr 3$d$, and Nb 3$d$ to confirm the valence state.