arXiv subjects

A. D. Christianson

Publications and source records attributed to A. D. Christianson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Magnetic Imaging of Macroscopic Spin Chirality Flipping

Chirality is a fundamental organizing principle of correlated and topological states. In quantum magnets, chirality arises from the geometric twisting of spins and serves as an emergent source of Berry curvature and quantum metrics. Although external fields can reversibly tune the spin chirality, understanding how spontaneous reversal occurs on macroscopic length scale remains an unresolved challenge. In this letter, we use resonant magnetic x-ray scattering with 2.5-micron spatial resolution to image intertwined spin, charge, and lattice orders of the correlated topological magnet EuAl4. We uncover a macroscopic chirality flipping transition and a remarkable chiral memory effect. The chiral magnetic domain tracks the landscape of the underlying charge density wave, implicating emergent chiral magnetic interactions arising from competing chiral and nematic lattice fields. Our results reveal the fundamental significance of magnetoelastic coupling in stabilizing homochiral and topological magnetic states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Magnetic Field Dependence of the Spin Fluctuations in CeCu$_{5.8}$Ag$_{0.2}$

Quantum phase transitions are among the most intriguing phenomena that can occur when the electronic ground state of correlated metals are tuned by external parameters such as pressure, magnetic field or chemical substitution. Such transitions between distinct states of matter are driven by quantum fluctuations, and can give rise to macroscopically coherent phases that are at the forefront of condensed matter research. However, the nature of the critical fluctuations, and thus the fundamental physics controlling many quantum phase transitions, remain poorly understood in numerous strongly correlated metals. Here we study the model material CeCu$_{5.8}$Ag$_{0.2}$ to gain insight into the implications of critical fluctuations originating from different regions in reciprocal space. By employing an external magnetic field along the crystallographic $a$- and $c$-axis as auxiliary tuning parameter we observe a pronounced anisotropy in the suppression of the quantum critical fluctuations, reflecting the spin anisotropy of the long-range ordered ground state at larger silver concentration. Coupled with the temperature dependence of the quantum critical fluctuations, these results suggest that the quantum phase transition in CeCu$_{5.8}$Ag$_{0.2}$ is driven by three-dimensional spin-density wave fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Spin correlations in the parent phase of Li$_{1-x}$Fe$_x$ODFeSe

Elucidating spin correlations in the parent compounds of high-temperature superconductors is crucial for understanding superconductivity. We used neutron scattering to study spin correlations in Li$_{1-x}$Fe$_x$ODFeSe, an insulating material with reduced electron carriers compared to its superconducting counterpart ($T_c$ = 41 K), serving as the undoped parent compound. Our findings show a reduced total fluctuating moment in this insulator relative to FeSe and 122 iron pnictides, likely due to increased interlayer distances from intercalation, which enhance fluctuations and reduce the intensity of spin excitations. Moreover, we observed a V-shaped spin wave-like excitation dispersion, contrasting with the twisted hourglass pattern in the superconducting counterpart. Electron doping shifts spin excitation from ($π$, 0) point to an incommensurate position towards ($π$, $π$) direction below 65 meV. This transition from V-shaped to hourglass-like dispersion, akin to behaviors in hole-doped cuprates, suggests a potential shared mechanism in magnetism and superconductivity across these diverse systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Kondo quasiparticle dynamics observed by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Effective models focused on pertinent low-energy degrees of freedom have substantially contributed to our qualitative understanding of quantum materials. An iconic example, the Kondo model, was key to demonstrating that the rich phase diagrams of correlated metals originate from the interplay of localized and itinerant electrons. Modern electronic structure calculations suggest that to achieve quantitative material-specific models, accurate consideration of the crystal field and spin-orbit interactions is imperative. This poses the question of how local high-energy degrees of freedom become incorporated into a collective electronic state. Here, we use resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) on CePd$_3$ to clarify the fate of all relevant energy scales. We find that even spin-orbit excited states acquire pronounced momentum-dependence at low temperature - the telltale sign of hybridization with the underlying metallic state. Our results demonstrate how localized electronic degrees of freedom endow correlated metals with new properties, which is critical for a microscopic understanding of superconducting, electronic nematic, and topological states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Nanometric modulations of the magnetic structure of the element Nd

The rare earth neodymium arguably exhibits the most complex magnetic ordering and series of magnetic phase transitions of the elements. Here we report the results of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field to study magnetic correlations on nanometer length scales in Nd. The SANS measurements reveal the presence of previously unreported modulation vectors characterizing the ordered spin configuration which exhibit changes in magnitude and direction that are phase dependent. Between 5.9 and 7.6 K the additional modulation vector has a magnitude $Q$ =0.12 Å$^{-1}$ and is primarily due to order of the Nd layers which contain a center of inversion. In this region of the phase diagram, the SANS measurements also identify a phase boundary at $\approx$1 T. An important feature of these modulation vectors is that they indicate the presence of nanometer length scale spin textures which are likely stabilized by frustrated Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interactions rather than a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) exchange interaction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Enhanced low-energy magnetic excitations evidencing the Cu-induced localization in an Fe-based superconductor Fe$_{0.98}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$

We have performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements on optimally-doped Fe$_{0.98}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$ and 10% Cu-doped Fe$_{0.88}$Cu$_{0.1}$Te$_{0.5}$Se$_{0.5}$ to investigate the substitution effects on the spin excitations in the whole energy range up to 300 meV. It is found that substitution of Cu for Fe enhances the low-energy spin excitations ($\le$ 100 meV), especially around the (0.5, 0.5) point, and leaves the high-energy magnetic excitations intact. In contrast to the expectation that Cu with spin 1/2 will dilute the magnetic moments contributed by Fe with a larger spin, we find that the 10% Cu doping enlarges the effective fluctuating moment from 2.85 to 3.13 $μ_{\rm B}$/Fe, although there is no long- or short-range magnetic order around (0.5, 0.5) and (0.5, 0). The presence of enhanced magnetic excitations in the 10% Cu doped sample which is in the insulating state indicates that the magnetic excitations must have some contributions from the local moments, reflecting the dual nature of the magnetism in iron-based superconductors. We attribute the substitution effects to the localization of the itinerant electrons induced by Cu dopants. These results also indicate that the Cu doping does not act as electron donor as in a rigid-band shift model, but more as scattering centers that localize the system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Spin dynamics in the skyrmion-host lacunar spinel GaV4S8

In the lacunar spinel GaV4S8, the interplay of spin, charge, and orbital degrees of freedom produces a rich phase diagram that includes an unusual Neel-type skyrmion phase composed of molecular spins. To provide insight into the interactions underlying this complex phase diagram, we study the spin excitations in GaV4S8 through inelastic neutron scattering measurements on polycrystalline and single-crystal samples. Using linear spin-wave theory, we describe the spin-wave excitations using a model where V4 clusters decorate an FCC lattice. The effective cluster model includes a ferromagnetic interaction and a weaker antisymmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction between the neighboring molecular spins. Our work clarifies the spin interactions in GaV4S8 and supports the picture of interacting molecular clusters.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Magnetic properties of the Shastry-Sutherland lattice material BaNd$_2$ZnO$_5$

We investigate the physical properties of the Shastry-Sutherland lattice material BaNd$_2$ZnO$_5$. Neutron diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements reveal antiferromagnetic order below 1.65 K. The magnetic order is found to be a 2-$\boldsymbol{Q}$ magnetic structure with the magnetic moments lying in the Shastry-Sutherland lattice planes comprising the tetragonal crystal structure of BaNd$_2$ZnO$_5$. The ordered moment for this structure is 1.9(1) $μ_B$ per Nd ion. Inelastic neutron scattering measurements reveal that the crystal field ground state doublet is well separated from the first excited state at 8 meV. The crystal field Hamiltonian is determined through simultaneous refinement of models with both the LS coupling and intermediate coupling approximations to the inelastic neutron scattering and magnetic susceptibility data. The ground state doublet indicates that the magnetic moments lie primarily in the basal plane with magnitude consistent with the size of the determined ordered moment.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Tuning the flat bands of the kagome metal CoSn with Fe, In, or Ni doping

CoSn is a Pauli paramagnet with relatively flat d-bands centered about 100 meV below the Fermi energy Ef. Single crystals of CoSn lightly doped with Fe, In, or Ni are investigated using x-ray and neutron scattering, magnetic susceptibility and magnetization, ac susceptibility, specific heat and resistivity measurements. Within the rigid band approximation, hole doping with a few percent of Fe or In should move the flat bands closer to Ef, whereas electron doping with Ni should move the flat bands further away from Ef. We provide evidence that this indeed occurs. Fe and In doping drive CoSn toward magnetism, while Ni doping suppresses CoSn's already weak magnetic response. The resulting ground state is different for Fe versus In doping. For Fe-doped crystals, Co1-xFexSn, with 0.02 < x < 0.27, the magnetic and specific heat data are consistent with the formation of a spin glass, with a glass transition temperature, Tg, ranging from 1 K for x=0.02 to 10 K for x= 0.27. Powder and single crystal neutron diffraction found no evidence of long-range magnetic order below Tg with x = 0.17. For In-doped crystals, CoSn1-yIny, both the magnetic susceptibility and the Sommerfeld coefficient, gamma, increase substantially relative to pure CoSn, but with no clear indication of a magnetic transition for 0.05 < y < 0.2. CoSn crystals doped with Ni (Co0.93Ni0.07Sn) have a significantly smaller magnetic susceptibility and gamma than pure CoSn, consistent with the flat bands further from Ef.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Magnetism of Nd$_2$O$_3$ single crystals near the Néel temperature

Single crystals of Nd$_2$O$_3$ were grown and characterized using neutron scattering and thermodynamic measurements. Nd$_2$O$_3$ has long-range antiferromagnetic order below $T_{\rm N}$ = 0.55 K and specific heat measurements have demonstrated that a significant amount of the magnetic entropy is released above $T_{\rm N}$. Inelastic neutron scattering experiments reveal a magnetic mode(s) with little dispersion peaked at $\approx$ 0.37 meV that is of greatest intensity below $T_{\rm N}$ but persists above 2$T_{\rm N}$. This persistence of dynamic correlations is likely related to frustrated interactions associated with the nearly-ideal stacked triangular lattice geometry of $J_{\textrm{eff}}$ = 1/2 spins on Nd$^{3+}$ ions. The magnetization is observed to be strongly anisotropic at all temperatures due to crystal field effects, with easy-plane anisotropy observed. A non-compensated magnetic structure is inferred from the temperature-dependence of the magnetization when a magnetic field of sufficient strength is applied within the basal plane near $T_{\rm N}$, and the evolution of the long-range order is summarized in a temperature-field phase diagram.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Giant electron-phonon coupling of the breathing plane oxygen phonons in the dynamic stripe phase of La$_{1.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$NiO$_4$

Doped antiferromagnets host a vast array of physical properties and learning how to control them is one of the biggest challenges of condensed matter physics. La$_{1.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$NiO$_4$ (LSNO) is a classic example of such a material. At low temperatures holes introduced via substitution of La by Sr segregate into lines to form boundaries between magnetically ordered domains in the form of stripes. The stripes become dynamic at high temperatures, but LSNO remains insulating presumably because an interplay between magnetic correlations and electron-phonon coupling localizes charge carriers. Magnetic degrees of freedom have been extensively investigated in this system, but phonons are almost completely unexplored. We searched for electron-phonon anomalies in LSNO by inelastic neutron scattering. Giant renormalization of plane Ni-O bond-stretching modes that modulate the volume around Ni appears on entering the dynamic charge stripe phase. Other phonons are a lot less sensitive to stripe melting. Dramatic overdamping of the breathing modes indicates that dynamic stripe phase may host small polarons. We argue that this feature sets electron-phonon coupling in nickelates apart from that in cuprates where breathing phonons are not overdamped and point out remarkable similarities with the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) manganites.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Robust cycloid crossover driven by anisotropy in the skyrmion host GaV$_\mathbf{4}$S$_\mathbf{8}$

We report on the anomalous magnetization dynamics of the cycloidally-modulated spin textures under the influence of uniaxial anisotropy in multiferroic $\mathrm{GaV_4S_8}$. The temperature and field dependence of the linear ac susceptibility [$χ_{1ω}^{\prime}(T,H)$], ac magnetic loss [$χ_{1ω}^{\prime\prime}(T,H)$], and nonlinear ac magnetic response [$M_{3ω}(T,H)$] are examined across the magnetic phase diagram in the frequency range $f = 10-10000$ Hz. According to recent theory, skyrmion vortices under axial crystal symmetry are confined along specific orientations, resulting in enhanced robustness against oblique magnetic fields and altered spin dynamics. We characterize the magnetic response of each spin texture and find that the dynamic rigidity of the Néel skyrmion lattice appears enhanced compared to Bloch-type skyrmions in cubic systems, even in the multidomain state. Anomalous $M_{3ω}$ and strong dissipation emerge over the same phase regime where strong variations in the cycloid pitch were observed on lowering temperature in recent small-angle neutron scattering experiments [White et al., Phys. Rev. B 97, 020401(R) (2018)]. Here, we show that strong anisotropy also drives an extended crossover of the zero-field cycloid texture in $\mathrm{GaV_4S_8}$. The frequency dependence of these dynamic signatures is consistent with that of a robust anharmonic spin texture exhibiting a correlated domain arrangement. The results underpin the essential role of magnetic anisotropy in enhancing the rigidity of topological spin textures for diverse applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Van Hove singularity in the magnon spectrum of the antiferromagnetic quantum honeycomb lattice

The magnetic excitation spectrum of the quantum magnet YbCl$_3$ is studied with inelastic neutron scattering. The spectrum exhibits an unusually sharp feature within a broad continuum, as well as conventional spin waves. By including both transverse and longitudinal channels of the neutron response, linear spin wave theory with a single Heisenberg interaction on the honeycomb lattice reproduces all of the key features in the spectrum. In particular, the broad continuum corresponds to a two-magnon contribution from the longitudinal channel, while the sharp feature within this continuum is identified as a Van Hove singularity in the joint density of states, which indicates the two-dimensional nature of the two-magnon continuum. We term these singularities magneto-caustic features in analogy with caustic features in ray optics where focused envelopes of light are generated when light passes through or reflects from curved or distorted surfaces. The experimental demonstration of a sharp Van Hove singularity in a two-magnon continuum is important because analogous features in potential two-spinon continua could distinguish quantum spin liquids from merely disordered systems. These results establish YbCl$_3$ as a nearly ideal two-dimensional honeycomb lattice material hosting strong quantum effects in the unfrustrated limit.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Spin and orbital dynamics through the metal-to-insulator transition in Cd$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$ probed with high-resolution RIXS

High-resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) measurements ($Δ$E = 46 meV) have been performed on Cd$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$ through the metal-to-insulator transition (MIT). A magnetic excitation at 125 meV evolves continuously through the MIT, in agreement with recent Raman scattering results, and provides further confirmation for an all-in, all-out magnetic ground state. Asymmetry of this feature is likely a result of coupling between the electronic and magnetic degrees of freedom. We also observe a broad continuum of interband excitations centered at 0.3 eV energy loss. This is indicative of significant hybridization between Os 5$d$ and O 2$p$ states, and concurrent itinerant nature of the system. In turn, this suggests a possible break down of the free-ion model for Cd$_2$Os$_2$O$_7$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Crystal field splitting, local anisotropy, and low energy excitations in the quantum magnet YbCl$_3$

We study the correlated quantum magnet, YbCl$_3$, with neutron scattering, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements. The crystal field Hamiltonian is determined through simultaneous refinements of the inelastic neutron scattering and magnetization data. The ground state doublet is well isolated from the other crystal field levels and results in an effective spin-1/2 system with local easy plane anisotropy at low temperature. Cold neutron spectroscopy shows low energy excitations that are consistent with nearest neighbor antiferromagnetic correlations of reduced dimensionality.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Coexisting spin resonance and long-range magnetic order of Eu in EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$

Magnetic excitations and magnetic structure of EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$ were investigated by inelastic neutron scattering (INS), neutron diffraction, and random phase approximation (RPA) calculations. Below the superconducting transition temperature $T_\text{c}=36.5$~K, the INS spectra exhibit the neutron spin resonances at $Q_\text{res}=1.27(2)$~$\textÅ^{-1}$ and $1.79(3)$~$\textÅ^{-1}$. They correspond to the $\mathbf{Q}=(0.5,0.5,1)$ and $(0.5,0.5,3)$ nesting wave vectors, showing three dimensional nature of the band structure. The characteristic energy of the neutron spin resonance is $E_\text{res}=17.7(3)$~meV corresponding to $5.7(1)k_\text{B}T_\text{c}$. Observation of the neutron spin resonance mode and our RPA calculations in conjunction with the recent optical conductivity measurements are indicative of the $s_\pm$ superconducting pairing symmetry in EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$. In addition to the neutron spin resonance mode, upon decreasing temperature below the magnetic transition temperature $T_\text{N}=15$~K, the spin wave excitation originating in the long-range magnetic order of the Eu sublattice was observed in the low-energy inelastic channel. Single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements demonstrate that the magnetic propagation vector of the Eu sublattice is $\mathbf{k}=(0, 0, 0.25)$, representing the three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order. Linear spin wave calculations assuming the obtained magnetic structure with the intra- and inter-plane nearest neighbor exchange couplings of $J_1/k_\text{B}=-1.31$~K and $J_c/k_\text{B}=0.08$~K can reproduce quantitatively the observed spin wave excitation. Our results show that superconductivity and long-range magnetic order of Eu coexist in EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$ whereas the coupling between them is rather weak.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Antiferromagnetic ordering and dipolar interactions of YbAlO$_3$

In this paper we report low-temperature magnetic properties of the rare-earth perovskite material YbAlO$_3$. Results of elastic and inelastic neutron scattering experiment, magnetization measurements along with the crystalline electrical field (CEF) calculations suggest that the ground state of Yb moments is a strongly anisotropic Kramers doublet, and the moments are confined in the $ab$-plane, pointing at an angle of $φ= \pm 23.5^{\circ}$ to the $a$-axis. With temperature decreasing below $T_{\rm N}=0.88$ K, Yb moments order into the coplanar, but non-collinear antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure $AxGy$, where the moments are pointed along their easy-axes. In addition, we highlight the importance of the dipole-dipole interaction, which selects the type of magnetic ordering and may be crucial for understanding magnetic properties of other rare-earth orthorhombic perovskites. Further analysis of the broad diffuse neutron scattering shows that one-dimensional interaction along the $c$-axis is dominant, and suggests YbAlO$_3$ as a new member of one dimensional quantum magnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Tomonaga-Luttinger Liquid Behavior and Spinon Confinement in YbAlO$_3$

Low dimensional quantum magnets are interesting because of the emerging collective behavior arising from strong quantum fluctuations. The one-dimensional (1D) S = 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet is a paradigmatic example, whose low-energy excitations, known as spinons, carry fractional spin S = 1/2. These fractional modes can be reconfined by the application of a staggered magnetic field. Even though considerable progress has been made in the theoretical understanding of such magnets, experimental realizations of this low-dimensional physics are relatively rare. This is particularly true for rare-earth based magnets because of the large effective spin anisotropy induced by the combination of strong spin-orbit coupling and crystal field splitting. Here, we demonstrate that the rare-earth perovskite YbAlO$_3$ provides a realization of a quantum spin S = 1/2 chain material exhibiting both quantum critical Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid behavior and spinon confinement-deconfinement transitions in different regions of magnetic field-temperature phase diagram.

cond-mat.str-el↗