We report a neutron scattering study of the magnetic order and dynamics of the bilayer perovskite Sr$_3$Fe$_2$O$_7$, which exhibits a temperature-driven metal-insulator transition at 340 K. We show that the Fe$^{4+}$ moments adopt incommensurate spir
al order below $T_text{N}=115$ K and provide a comprehensive description of the corresponding spin wave excitations. The observed magnetic order and excitation spectra can be well understood in terms of an effective spin Hamiltonian with interactions ranging up to third nearest-neighbor pairs. The results indicate that the helical magnetism in Sr$_3$Fe$_2$O$_7$ results from competition between ferromagnetic double-exchange and antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions whose strengths become comparable near the metal-insulator transition. They thus confirm a decades-old theoretical prediction and provide a firm experimental basis for models of magnetic correlations in strongly correlated metals.
Small angle neutron scattering experiments were performed on a bulk single crystal of chiral-lattice multiferroic insulator Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$. In the absence of an external magnetic field, helical spin order with magnetic modulation vector $q parallel <
001>$ was identified. When a magnetic field is applied, a triple-$q$ magnetic structure emerges normal to the field in the A-phase just below the magnetic ordering temperature $T_c$, which suggests the formation of a triangular lattice of skyrmions. Notably, the favorable $q$-direction in the A-phase changes from $q parallel <110>$ to $q parallel <001>$ upon approaching $T_c$. Near the phase boundary between these two states, the external magnetic field induces a 30$^circ$-rotation of the skyrmion lattice. This suggests a delicate balance between the magnetic anisotropy and the spin texture near $T_c$, such that even a small perturbation significantly affects the ordering pattern of the skyrmions.
We report on a search for the charmless decays $B^{+} tophipi^{+}$ and $B^{0} tophi pi^{0}$ that are strongly suppressed in the Standard Model. The analysis is based on a data sample of $657 times 10^6$ $B bar{B}$ pairs collected at the $Upsilon(4S)$
resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+ e^-$ collider. We find no significant signal and set upper limits of $3.3 times 10^{-7}$ for $B^{+} to phi pi^{+}$ and $1.5 times 10^{-7}$ for $B^0 to phi pi^0$ at the 90% confidence level.
We review recent studies of coherent phonons (CPs) corresponding to the radial breathing mode (RBM) and G-mode in single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and graphene. Because of the bandgap-diameter relationship, RBM-CPs cause bandgap oscillations in
SWCNTs, modulating interband transitions at terahertz frequencies. Interband resonances enhance CP signals, allowing for chirality determination. Using pulse shaping, one can selectively excite speci!c-chirality SWCNTs within an ensemble. G-mode CPs exhibit temperature-dependent dephasing via interaction with RBM phonons. Our microscopic theory derives a driven oscillator equation with a density-dependent driving term, which correctly predicts CP trends within and between (2n+m) families. We also find that the diameter can initially increase or decrease. Finally, we theoretically study the radial breathing like mode in graphene nanoribbons. For excitation near the absorption edge, the driving term is much larger for zigzag nanoribbons. We also explain how the armchair nanoribbon width changes in response to laser excitation.
We have studied the coherent dynamics of G-band phonons in single-walled carbon nanotubes through impulsive stimulated Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman scattering. The probe energy dependence of phonon amplitude as well as preferential occurrence between
Stokes and anti-Stokes components in response to chirped-pulse excitation are well explained within our model. The temperature dependence of the observed dephasing rate clearly exhibits a thermally-activated component, with an activation energy that coincides with the frequency of the radial breathing mode (RBM). This fact provides a clear picture for the dephasing of optical phonons by random frequency modulation via interaction with the RBM through anharmonicity.
We have observed large-amplitude coherent phonon oscillations of radial breathing modes (RBMs) in single-walled carbon nanotubes excited through the lowest-energy (E11) interband transitions. In contrast to the previously-studied coherent phonons exc
ited through higher-energy (E22) transitions, these RBMs show comparable intensities between (n-m) mod 3 = 1 and -1 nanotubes. We also find novel non-resonantly excited RBMs over an excitation range of ~300 meV above the E11 transition, which we attribute to multi-phonon replicas arising from strong exciton-phonon coupling.
We grew the single crystal of stoichiometric Tm5Si2.0Ge2.0 using a Bridgeman method and performed XRD, EDS, magnetization, ac and dc magnetic susceptibilities, specific heat, electrical resistivity and XPS experiments. It crystallizes in orthorhombic
Sm5Ge4-type structure. The mean valence of Tm ions in Tm5Si2.0Ge2.0 is almost trivalent. The 4f states is split by the crystalline electric field. The ground state exhibits the long range antiferromagnetic order with the ferromagnetically coupled magnetic moments in the ac plane below 8.01 K, while the exited states exhibit the reduction of magnetic moment and magnetic entropy and -log T-behaviors observed in Kondo materials.
Using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with pulse shaping techniques, one can generate and detect coherent phonons in chirality-specific semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes. The signals are resonantly enhanced when the pump photon energy
coincides with an interband exciton resonance, and analysis of such data provides a wealth of information on the chirality-dependence of light absorption, phonon generation, and phonon-induced band structure modulations. To explain our experimental results, we have developed a microscopic theory for the generation and detection of coherent phonons in single-walled carbon nanotubes using a tight-binding model for the electronic states and a valence force field model for the phonons. We find that the coherent phonon amplitudes satisfy a driven oscillator equation with the driving term depending on photoexcited carrier density. We compared our theoretical results with experimental results on mod 2 nanotubes and found that our model provides satisfactory overall trends in the relative strengths of the coherent phonon signal both within and between different mod 2 families. We also find that the coherent phonon intensities are considerably weaker in mod 1 nanotubes in comparison with mod~2 nanotubes, which is also in excellent agreement with experiment.
Using pre-designed trains of femtosecond optical pulses, we have selectively excited coherent phonons of the radial breathing mode of specific-chirality single-walled carbon nanotubes within an ensemble sample. By analyzing the initial phase of the p
honon oscillations, we prove that the tube diameter initially increases in response to ultrafast photoexcitation. Furthermore, from excitation profiles, we demonstrate that an excitonic absorption peak of carbon nanotubes periodically oscillates as a function of time when the tube diameter undergoes radial breathing mode oscillations.
Using single crystal inelastic neutron scattering with and without application of an external magnetic field and powder neutron diffraction, we have characterized magnetic interactions in Ba$_3$Cr$_2$O$_8$. Even without field, we found that there exi
st three singlet-to-triplet excitation modes in $(h,h,l)$ scattering plane. Our complete analysis shows that the three modes are due to spatially anisotropic interdimer interactions that are induced by local distortions of the tetrahedron of oxygens surrounding the Jahn-Teller active Cr$^{5+} (3d^1)$. The strong intradimer coupling of $J_0 = 2.38(2)$ meV and weak interdimer interactions ($|J_{rm inter}| leq 0.52(2)$ meV) makes Ba$_3$Cr$_2$O$_8$ a good model system for weakly-coupled $s = 1/2$ quantum spin dimers.
