arXiv subjects

A. Gukasov

Publications and source records attributed to A. Gukasov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Observing Altermagnetism using Polarized Neutrons

Altermagnets are colinear compensated magnets whose magnetic symmetries at zero spin-orbit coupling break spin degeneracy leading to spin-split electronic and magnonic bands that reflect an underlying multipolar order. When there is an approximate $U(1)$ symmetry the magnons in altermagnets are split into equal and opposite chiral pairs. We show that in altermagnets polarized neutrons provide a means to detect the population of time-reversed domains and allow direct measurement of the magnon chirality anisotropy in momentum space -- the central signature of the altermagnetic phase. We demonstrate this response to polarized neutrons in two candidate materials MnF$_2$ and MnTe and show that the presence of these chiralities is stable to small perturbations that break spin-rotation symmetry. This provides a magnonic analogue of spin polarized ARPES that has been used to discern altermagnetism in the electronic band structures of various candidate materials.

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arXiv2023

Magnetic structure of the magnetoelectric material Ba$_2$MnGe$_2$O$_7$

A detailed investigation of Ba$_2$MnGe$_2$O$_7$ was performed in its low-temperature magnetoelectric state combining neutron diffraction with magnetization measurements on single crystals. In the paramagnetic state at 10 K, polarized neutron diffraction was applied to reveal the components of the susceptibility tensor. The crystal and magnetic structures below the antiferromagnetic transition temperature of $T_N \approx 4$ K were determined using unpolarized neutron diffraction. This data implies no structural phase transition from 10 K down to 2.5 K and is well described within the tetragonal space group $P\bar{4}2_1m$. We found that in zero magnetic field the magnetic space group is either $C_cmc2_1$ or $P_c2_12_12_1$ with antiferromagnetic order along the [110] or [100] directions, respectively, while neighboring spins along the [001] axis are ordered antiferromagnetically. A non-collinear spin arrangement due to small canting within the $ab$ plane is allowed by symmetry and observed experimentally. The ordered moment is found to be 3.24(3) $μ_B$/Mn$^{2+}$ at 2.5 K and the temperature-field dependent magnetic phase diagram is mapped out by macroscopic magnetization. Distinct differences between the magnetic structure of Ba$_2$MnGe$_2$O$_7$ as compared to those of Ba$_2$CoGe$_2$O$_7$ and Ca$_2$CoSi$_2$O$_7$ are discussed.

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arXiv2021

Emergent 1/3 magnetization plateaus in pyroxene CoGeO$_3$

Despite the absence of an apparent triangular pattern in the crystal structure, we observe unusually well pronounced 1/3 magnetization plateaus in the quasi one-dimensional Ising spin chain compound CoGeO$_3$ which belongs to the class of pyroxene minerals. We succeeded in uncovering the detailed microscopic spin structure of the 1/3 magnetization plateau phase by means of neutron diffraction. We observed changes of the initial antiferromagnetic zero-field spin structure that are resembling a regular formation of antiferromagnetic "domain wall boundaries", resulting in a kind of modulated magnetic structure with 1/3-integer propagation vector. The net ferromagnetic moment emerges at these "domain walls" whereas two third of all antiferromagnetic chain alignments can be still preserved. We propose a microscopic model on the basis of an anisotropic frustrated square lattice to explain the observations.

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arXiv2021

Single-crystal investigations on the multiferroic material LiFe(WO$_4$)$_2$

The crystal and magnetic structure of multiferroic LiFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ were investigated by temperature and magnetic-field dependent specific heat, susceptibility and neutron diffraction experiments on single crystals. Considering only the two nearest-neighbour magnetic interactions, the system forms a $J_1$, $J_2$ magnetic chain but more extended interactions are sizeable. Two different magnetic phases exhibiting long-range incommensurate order evolve at $T_{\text{N}1}\approx 22.2 \text{ K}$ and $T_{\text{N}2}\approx 19 \text{ K}$. First, a spin-density wave develops with moments lying in the $ac$ plane. In its multiferroic phase below $T_{\text{N}2}$, LiFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ exhibits a spiral arrangement with an additional spin-component along $b$. Therefore, the inverse Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya mechanism fully explains the multiferroic behavior in this material. A partially unbalanced multiferroic domain distribution was observed even in the absence of an applied electric field. For both phases only a slight temperature dependence of the incommensurability was observed and there is no commensurate phase emerging at low temperature or at finite magnetic fields up to $6\text{ T}$. LiFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ thus exhibits a simple phase diagram with the typical sequence of transitions for a type-II multiferroic material.

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arXiv2016

Strong magnetoelastic coupling at the transition from harmonic to anharmonic order in NaFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ with 3d$^5$ configuration

The crystal structure of the double tungstate NaFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ arises from that of the spin-driven multiferroic MnWO$_4$ by inserting non-magnetic Na layers. NaFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ exhibits a three-dimensional incommensurate spin-spiral structure at low temperature and zero magnetic field, which, however, competes with commensurate order induced by magnetic field. The incommensurate zero-field phase corresponds to the condensation of a single irreducible representation but it does not imply ferroelectric polarization because spirals with opposite chirality coexist. Sizable anharmonic modulations emerge in this incommensurate structure, which are accompanied by large magneto-elastic anomalies, while the onset of the harmonic order is invisible in the thermal expansion coefficient. In magnetic fields applied along the monoclinic axis, we observe a first-order transition to a commensurate structure that again is accompanied by large magneto-elastic effects. The large magnetoelastic coupling, a reduction of the $b$ lattice parameter, is thus associated only with the commensurate order. Upon releasing the field at low temperature, the magnetic order transforms to another commensurate structure that considerably differs from the incommensurate low-temperature phase emerging upon zero-field cooling. The latter phase, which exhibits a reduced ordered moment, seems to be metastable.

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arXiv2016

Exploring metamagnetism of single crystalline \eun\ by neutron scattering

We present here a neutron diffraction study, both in zero field and as a function of magnetic field, of the magnetic structure of the tetragonal intermetallic \eun\ on a single crystalline sample. This material is known to undergo a cascade of transitions, first at 13.2\,K towards an incommensurate modulated magnetic structure, then at 10.5\,K to an equal moment, yet undetermined, antiferromagnetic structure. We show here that the low temperature phase presents a spiral moment arrangement with wave-vector {\bf k} = ($\frac{1}{4},δ,0)$. For a magnetic field applied along the tetragonal {\bf c}-axis, the square root of the scattering intensity of a chosen reflection matches very well the complex metamagnetic behavior of the magnetization along {\bf c} measured previously. For the magnetic field applied along the {\bf b}-axis, two magnetic transitions are observed below the transition to a fully polarized state.

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arXiv2014

Detailed neutron diffraction study of magnetic order in NdFe$_2$Al$_{10}$

The orthorhombic compound NdFe$_2$Al$_{10}$ has been studied by powder and single-crystal neutron diffraction. Below $T_N$ = 3.9 K, the Nd$^{3+}$ magnetic moments order in a double-$k$ [$\mathbf{k}_1 = (0, \frac{3}{4}, 0)$, $\mathbf{k}_2 = (0, \frac{1}{4}, 0)$] collinear magnetic structure, whose unit cell consists of four orthorhombic units in the $b$ direction.The refinements show that this structure consists of (0 1 0) ferromagnetic planes stacked along $b$, in which the moments are oriented parallel to $a$ (the easy anisotropy axis according to bulk magnetization measurements) and nearly equal in magnitude ($\approx 1.7-1.9\ μ_B$). The alternating 8-plane sequence providing the best agreement to the data turns out to be that which yields the lowest exchange energy if one assumes antiferromagnetic near-neighbor exchange interactions with $J_1 \gg J_2, J_3$. With increasing temperature, the single-crystal measurements indicate the suppression of the $\mathbf{k}_2$ component at $T = 2.7$ K, supporting the idea that the anomalies previously observed around 2--2.5 K result from a squaring transition. In a magnetic field applied along the $a$ axis, the magnetic Bragg satellites disappear at $H_c = 2.45$ T, in agreement with earlier measurements. Comparisons are made with related magnetic orders occurring in Ce$T_2$Al$_{10}$ ($T$: Ru, Os) and TbFe$_2$Al$_{10}$.

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arXiv2014

Coexistence of different magnetic moments in CeRuSn probed by polarized neutrons

We report on the spin densities in CeRuSn determined at elevated and at low temperatures using polarized neutron diffraction. At 285 K, where the CeRuSn crystal structure, commensurate with the CeCoAl type, contains two different crystallographic Ce sites, we observe that one Ce site is clearly more susceptible to the applied magnetic field whereas the other is hardly polarizable. This finding clearly documents that distnictly different local environment of the two Ce sites causes the Ce ions to split into magnetic Ce3+ and non-magnetic Ce(4-delta)+ valence states. With lowering the temperature, the crystal structure transforms to a structure incommensurately modulated along the c axis. This leads to new inequivalent crystallographic Ce sites resulting in a re-distribution of spin densities. Our analysis using the simplest structural approximant shows that in this metallic system Ce ions co-exist in different valence states. Localized 4f states that fulfill the third Hund's rule are found to be close to the ideal Ce3+ state (at sites with the largest Ce-Ru interatomic distances) whereas Ce(4-delta)+ valence states are found to be itinerant and situated at Ce sites with much shorter Ce-Ru distances. The similarity to the famous alpha-gamma transition in elemental cerium is discussed.

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arXiv2014

Evolution of the 2D antiferromagnetism with temperature and magnetic field in multiferroic Ba$_2$CoGe$_2$O$_7$

We report on spherical neutron polarimetry and unpolarized neutron diffraction in zero magnetic field as well as flipping ratio and static magnetization measurements in high magnetic fields on the multiferroic square lattice antiferromagnet Ba$_2$CoGe$_2$O$_7$. We found that in zero magnetic field the magnetic space group is $Cm'm2'$ with sublattice magnetization parallel to the [100] axis of this orthorhombic setting. The spin canting has been found to be smaller than $0.2^\circ$ in the ground state. This assignment is in agreement with the field-induced changes of the magnetic domain structure below 40 mT as resolved by spherical neutron polarimetry. The magnitude of the ordered moment has been precisely determined. Above the magnetic ordering temperature short-range magnetic fluctuations are observed. Based on the high-field magnetization data, we refined the parameters of the recently proposed microscopic spin model describing the multiferroic phase of Ba$_2$CoGe$_2$O$_7$.

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arXiv2013

Low temperature diffuse neutron scattering and magnetisation in single crystal Tb2Ti2O7

We present an interpretation of zero field diffuse neutron scattering and of high field magnetisation data at very low temperature in the frustrated pyrochlore system Tb2Ti2O7. This material has antiferromagnetic exchange interactions and it is expected to have Ising character at low temperature. Contrary to expectations, it shows no magnetic ordering down to 0.05\,K, being thus labelled a "spin liquid". However, the ground state in Tb2Ti2O7 is not a mere fluctuating moment paramagnet but, as demonstrated by very recent experiments, a state where the electronic degrees of freedom are hybridised with the phononic variables in an unconventional way. We show here that, by approximating this complex and still unraveled electron-phonon interaction by a dynamic Jahn-Teller coupling, one can account rather well for the diffuse neutron scattering and the low temperature isothermal magnetisation. We discuss the shortcomings of this picture which arise mainly from the fact that the singlet electronic mean field ground state of the model fails to reproduce the observed strong intensity of the elastic and quasi-elastic neutron scattering.

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arXiv2013

Field-induced magnetic structures in Tb2Ti2O7 spin liquid under field H || [111]

We have studied the field-induced magnetic structures of Tb2Ti2O7 pyrochlore by single-crystal neutron diffraction under a field applied along the [111] local anisotropy axis, up to H=12T and down to T=40mK. We collected a hundred magnetic Bragg peaks for each field and temperature value and refined the magnetic structures with k=0 propagation vector by performing a symmetry analysis in the space group R-3m, reducing the number of free parameters to three only. We observe a gradual reorientation of the Tb magnetic moments towards the field direction, close to a "3-in, 1-out / 1-in, 3-out" spin structure in the whole field range 0.05-12T. We perform a quantitative comparison with mean-field calculations and we propose the presence of a low-temperature dynamic symmetry breaking of the local trigonal symmetry, akin to a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect, i.e. preserving the overall cubic symmetry. We discuss the possible origin of this off-diagonal mixing term in the crystal field hamiltonian in terms of quadrupole-quadrupole interaction or magneto-elastic effects.

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arXiv2012

Double-layered monopolar order in Tb2Ti2O7 spin liquid

Ho2Ti2O7 and Dy2Ti2O7 spin ices exhibit elementary excitations akin to magnetic monopoles. Here we focus on Tb2Ti2O7 spin liquid, where correlated magnetic moments keep fluctuating down to very low temperatures. Using a monopole picture, we have re-analyzed the field-induced magnetic structure previously determined by neutron diffraction in Tb2Ti2O7. We show that under a high field applied along a [110] direction, Tb2Ti2O7 orders as a three dimensional arrangement of monopole and antimonopole double layers. In contrast, Ho2Ti2O7 spin ice in the same conditions behaves as a monopole-free state. By symmetry analysis we derived the distortions compatible with the observed magnetic structure of Tb2Ti2O7 which can be related to the appearance of the double-layered monopolar order.

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arXiv2011

Tb$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$, a two singlet spin-liquid pyrochlore

The pyrochlore compound \tbti\ is known to remain in a spin-liquid state down to the lowest attainable temperature (0.05\,K), whereas current theories predict it should order into an antiferromagnetic structure. A number of models have been developed in order to resolve this discrepancy, but they could not obtain a spin-liquid ground state. We present here an explanation for the lack of magnetic order in \tbti\ based on the presence of a Jahn-Teller-like distortion from the local trigonal symmetry and on the physics of the two-singlet system coupled by exchange.

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arXiv2010

Field-Induced magnetic structures in Tb2Ti2O7 at low temperatures: From spin-ice to spin-flip structures

We studied the field-induced magnetic structures of the Tb2Ti2O7 pyrochlore by single-crystal neutron diffraction with a magnetic field applied along a [110] axis, focusing on the influence of a small misalignment. Both induced magnetic structures with k=0 and k=(0,0,1) propagation vectors are found to be sensitive to the misalignment, which controls the magnitude and orientation of the Tb moments involved in the beta chains, with local [111] anisotropy axis perpendicular to the field. For k=0, spin-ice-like structures are observed for a misalignment of a few degrees, whereas other structures, where the Tb-beta moments flip by "melting" on the field axis, occur when the field is perfectly aligned. The field evolution of the k=0 structure is well reproduced by a molecular field model with anisotropic exchange. We give a complete symmetry analysis of the k=0 and k=(0,0,1) magnetic structures, both being described by the basis functions of single irreducible representations.

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arXiv2010

Field evolution of the magnetic structures in Er$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ through the critical point

We have measured neutron diffraction patterns in a single crystal sample of the pyrochlore compound Er$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ in the antiferromagnetic phase (T=0.3\,K), as a function of the magnetic field, up to 6\,T, applied along the [110] direction. We determine all the characteristics of the magnetic structure throughout the quantum critical point at $H_c$=2\,T. As a main result, all Er moments align along the field at $H_c$ and their values reach a minimum. Using a four-sublattice self-consistent calculation, we show that the evolution of the magnetic structure and the value of the critical field are rather well reproduced using the same anisotropic exchange tensor as that accounting for the local paramagnetic susceptibility. In contrast, an isotropic exchange tensor does not match the moment variations through the critical point. The model also accounts semi-quantitatively for other experimental data previously measured, such as the field dependence of the heat capacity, energy of the dispersionless inelastic modes and transition temperature.

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arXiv2009

Ising versus XY anisotropy in frustrated R$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$O$_7$ compounds as seen by polarized neutrons

We studied the field induced magnetic order in R$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$O$_7$ pyrochlore compounds with either uniaxial (R=Ho, Tb) or planar (R=Er, Yb) anisotropy, by polarized neutron diffraction. The determination of the local susceptibility tensor \{$χ_\parallel,χ_\perp$\} provides a universal description of the field induced structures in the paramagnetic phase (2-270 K), whatever the field value (1-7 T) and direction. Comparison of the thermal variations of $χ_\parallel$ and $χ_\perp$ with calculations using the rare earth crystal field shows that exchange and dipolar interactions must be taken into account. We determine the molecular field tensor in each case and show that it can be strongly anisotropic.

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arXiv2008

Field induced spin ice like orders in spin liquid Tb$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$

We have studied the field induced magnetic structures in the spin liquid Tb$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$, in a wide temperature (0.3$<$$T$$<$270 K) and field (0$<$$H$$<$7 T) range, by single crystal neutron diffraction with $\bf{H}$ // [110] axis. We combined unpolarized neutron data with polarized ones, analyzed within the local susceptibility model. A ferromagnetic-like structure with $\bf{k}$ = 0 propagation vector is induced, whose local order at low field and low temperature is akin to spin ice. The four Tb ions separate in $α$ and $β$ chains having different values of the magnetic moments, which is quantitatively explained by taking the crystal field anisotropy into account. Above 2 T and below 2 K, an antiferromagnetic-like structure with $\bf{k}$ = (0,0,1) is induced besides the $\bf{k}$ = 0 structure. It shows a reentrant behavior and extends over a finite length scale. It occurs together with a broadening of the nuclear peaks, which suggests a field induced distortion and magnetostriction effect.

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arXiv2008

The nature of the magnetic order in Ca3Co2O6

We present a detailed powder and single crystal neutron diffraction study of the spin chain compound Ca3Co2O6. Below 25 K, the system orders magnetically with a modulated partially disordered antiferromagnetic structure. We give a description of the magnetic interactions in the system which is consistent with this magnetic structure. Our study also reveals that the long-range magnetic order co-exists with a shorter range order with a correlation length scale of 180 A in the ab plane. Remarkably, on cooling, the volume of material exhibiting short range order increases at the expense of the long-range order.

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