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A. M. Balbashov

Publications and source records attributed to A. M. Balbashov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Excitation and Detection of THz Coherent Spin Waves in Antiferromagnetic $\mathrm{α-Fe_2O_3}$

The efficiency of ultrafast excitation of spins in antiferromagnetic $\mathrm{α-Fe_{2}O_{3}}$ using nearly single-cycle THz pulse is studied as a function of the polarization of the THz pulse and the sample temperature. Above the Morin point the most efficient excitation is achieved when the magnetic field of the THz pulse is perpendicular to the antiferromagnetically coupled spins. Using the experimental results and equations of motion for spins, we show that the mechanism of the spin excitation above and below the Morin point relies on magnetic-dipole interaction of the THz magnetic field with spins and the efficiency of the coupling is proportional to the time derivative of the magnetic field.

cond-mat.str-el

Lattice dynamics and spontaneous magnetodielectric effect in ilmenite CoTiO$_3$

Ilmenite-type crystals find a variety of technological applications due to their intriguing physical properties. We present the results of the lattice dynamics studies of honeycomb antiferromagnetic ilmenite CoTiO$_3$ single crystal by the complementary polarized infrared, Raman, and dielectric spectroscopic techniques that are supplemented by the DFT calculations. The frequencies and symmetries of all predicted infrared and Raman active phonons were uniquely identified. Furthermore, it was found that the dielectric permittivity demonstrates distinct changes below antiferromagnetic ordering temperature in zero magnetic field due to spontaneous magnetodielectric effect. Our results establish the reliable basis for further investigation of the coupling of phonons with spins, magnetic excitations and other physical phenomena of this promising material.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Magnetic-field effect in the heterostructure Ba$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$TiO$_3$/LaMnO$_3$

We have studied transport and magnetotransport properties of the heterostructure consisting of the ferroelectric Ba$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$TiO$_3$ film deposited on the single crystalline manganite LaMnO$_3$. Two-dimensional electron gas arising at the interface transforms the interface region of the antiferromagnetic manganite to the ferromagnetic state with the reoriented magnetic moments. We obtained that the contribution of these ferromagnetic regions to the resistance of the heterostructure appears to be dependent on the external magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the interface (and parallel to {\it c}-axis of the ferromagnetic state of LaMnO$_3$). We believe that the decrease of the resistance of the studied heterostructure under the influence of the external magnetic field is caused by an appearance of the ferromagnetic order in the interface area. This leads to a relatively small resistance. In turn, the cycling of the applied magnetic field leads to the increase of the regions of the ferromagnetic order and, as a result, to decreasing scattering of the current carriers at the ferromagnetic disordering.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Two-dimensional electron gas at the interface of the ferroelectric-antiferromagnetic heterostructure Ba_0.8Sr_0.2TiO_3/LaMnO_3

The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of the heterostructures consisting of single crystalline LaMnO$_3$ samples with different crystallographic orientations covered by the epitaxial ferroelectric Ba$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$TiO$_3$ film has been studied. Results obtained for the heterostructure have been compared with the electrical resistivity of the single crystalline LaMnO$_3$ without the film. It was found that for the samples with the films where the polarization axis is perpendicular to the crystal surface the electrical resistivity strongly decreases, and at the temperature below ~160 K undergoes the insulator-metal transition. Ab-initio calculations were also performed for the structural and electronic properties of the BaTiO$_3$/LaMnO$_3$ heterostructure. Transition to the 2D electron gas at the interface is shown.

cond-mat.str-el

Probing Dy3+ magnetic moments in multiferroic perovskite DyMnO3 by optical spectroscopy

We present a detailed temperature-dependent spectroscopic study of DyMnO3 single crystals with distorted perovskite structure. Energies of 36 crystal-field levels of Dy3+ in paramagnetic DyMnO3 were determined. The Dy3+ ground Kramers doublet does not split at T_N^Mn = 39 K and splits below Tlock = 18 K. The splitting grows fast at temperatures near T_N^Dy = 6.5 K and reaches Δ0 = 11 cm-1 at 4 K. Using the experimental temperature dependence Δ0(T), we calculate the dysprosium magnetic moment mDy(T) and the dysprosium contribution into specific heat and magnetic susceptibility. Analysing all the experimental data, we conclude that the Dy-Mn interaction is of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya type.

cond-mat.str-el

Electromagnons, magnons, and phonons in Eu$_{1-x}$Ho$_x$MnO$_3$

Here we present a detailed study of the THz and FIR response of the mixed perovskite manganite system Eu$_{1-x}$Ho$_x$MnO$_3$ for holmium concentrations x = 0.1 and 0.3. We compare the magnetic excitations of the four different magnetically ordered phases (A-type antiferromagnetic, sinusoidally modulated collinear, helical phases with spin planes perpendicular to the crystallographic a and c axes). The transition between the two latter phases goes hand in hand with a switching of the ferroelectric polarization from P||a to P||c. Special emphasis is paid to the temperature dependence of the excitations at this transition. We find a significant change of intensity indicating that the exchange striction mechanism cannot be the only mechanism to induce dipolar weight to spin-wave excitations. We also focus on excitations within the incommensurate collinear antiferromagnetic phase and find a so far unobserved excitation close to 40 cm$^{-1}$. A detailed analysis of optical weight gives a further unexpected result: In the multiferroic phase with P||c all the spectral weight of the electromagnons comes from the lowest phonon mode. However, for the phase with the polarization P||a additional spectral weight must be transferred from higher frequencies.

cond-mat.str-el

Anomalous multi-order Raman scattering in LaMnO_3: a signature of a quantum lattice effect in a Jahn-Teller crystal

The multi-order Raman scattering is studied up to a fourth order for a detwinned LaMnO_3 crystal. Based on a comprehensive data analysis of the polarisation-dependent Raman spectra, we show that the anomalous features in the multi-order scattering could be the sidebands on the low-energy mode at about 25 cm-1. We suggest that this low-energy mode stems from the tunneling transition between the potential energy minima arising near the Jahn-Teller Mn3+ ion due to the lattice anharmonicity, and the multi-order scattering is activated by this low-energy electronic motion. The sidebands are dominated by the oxygen contribution to the phonon density-of-states, however, there is an admixture of an additional component, which may arise from coupling between the low-energy electronic motion and the vibrational modes.

cond-mat.str-el

Interplay of p-d and d-d charge transfer transitions in rare-earth perovskite manganites

We have performed both theoretical and experimental study of optical response of parent perovskite manganites RMnO_3 with a main goal to elucidate nature of clearly visible optical features. Starting with a simple cluster model approach we addressed the both one-center (p-d) and two-center (d-d) charge transfer (CT) transitions, their polarization properties, the role played by structural parameters, orbital mixing, and spin degree of freedom. Optical complex dielectric function of single crystalline samples of RMnO_3 (R=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) was measured by ellipsometric technique at room temperature in the spectral range from 1.0 to 5.0 eV for two light polarizations: E \parallel c and E \perp c. The comparative analysis of the spectral behavior of \varepsilon _1 and \varepsilon _2 is believed to provide a more reliable assignment of spectral features. We have found an overall agreement between experimental spectra and theoretical predictions based on the theory of one-center p-d CT transitions and inter-site d-d CT transitions. Our experimental data and theoretical analysis evidence a dual nature of the dielectric gap in nominally stoichiometric matrix of perovskite manganites RMnO_3, it is formed by a superposition of forbidden or weak dipole allowed p-d CT transitions and inter-site d-d CT transitions. In fact, the parent perovskite manganites RMnO_3 should rather be sorted neither into the CT insulator nor the Mott-Hubbard insulator in the Zaanen, Sawatzky, Allen scheme.

cond-mat.str-el

Low-energy Mott-Hubbard excitations in LaMnO_3 probed by optical ellipsometry

We present a comprehensive ellipsometric study of an untwinned, nearly stoichiometric LaMnO_3 crystal in the spectral range 1.2-6.0 eV at temperatures 20 K < T < 300 K. The complex dielectric response along the b and c axes of the Pbnm orthorhombic unit cell, ε^b(ν) and ε^c(ν), is highly anisotropic over the spectral range covered in the experiment. The difference between ε^b(ν) and ε^c(ν) increases with decreasing temperature, and the gradual evolution observed in the paramagnetic state is strongly enhanced by the onset of A-type antiferromagnetic long-range order at T_N = 139.6 K. In addition to the temperature changes in the lowest-energy gap excitation at 2 eV, there are opposite changes observed at higher energy at 4 - 5 eV, appearing on a broad-band background due to the strongly dipole-allowed O 2p -- Mn 3d transition around the charge-transfer energy 4.7 eV. Based on the observation of a pronounced spectral-weight transfer between low- and high-energy features upon magnetic ordering, they are assigned to high-spin and low-spin intersite d^4d^4 - d^3d^5 transitions by Mn electrons. The anisotropy of the lowest-energy optical band and the spectral weight shifts induced by antiferromagnetic spin correlations are quantitatively described by an effective spin-orbital superexchange model. An analysis of the multiplet structure of the intersite transitions by Mn e_g electrons allowed us to estimate the effective intra-atomic Coulomb interaction, the Hund exchange coupling, and the Jahn-Teller splitting energy between e_g orbitals in LaMnO_3. This study identifies the lowest-energy optical transition at 2 eV as an intersite d-d transition, whose energy is substantially reduced compared to that obtained from the bare intra-atomic Coulomb interaction.

cond-mat.str-el

Far-infrared optical excitations in multiferroic TbMnO_3

We provide a detailed study of the reflectivity of multiferroic TbMnO_3 for wave numbers from 40 cm^{-1} to 1000 cm^{-1} and temperatures 5 K < T < 300 K. Excitations are studied for polarization directions E || a, the polarization where electromagnons are observed, and for E || c, the direction of the spontaneous polarization in this material. The temperature dependencies of eigenfrequencies, damping constants and polar strengths of all modes are studied and analyzed. For E || a and below the spiral ordering temperature of about 27 K we observe a transfer of optical weight from phonon excitations to electromagnons, which mainly involves low-frequency phonons. For E || c an unusual increase of the total polar strength and hence of the dielectric constant is observed indicating significant transfer of dynamic charge probably within manganese-oxygen bonds on decreasing temperatures.

cond-mat.str-el

Relaxations as key to the magnetocapacitive effects in the perovskite manganites

We present a detailed dielectric study of the relaxation effects that occur in several perovskite rare-earth manganites, including the multiferroics TbMnO3 and DyMnO3. We demonstrate that the strong magnetocapacitive effects, observed for electrical fields E||c, are nearly completely governed by magnetic-state induced changes of the relaxation parameters. The multiferroic materials, which undergo a transition into a spiral magnetic state, show qualitatively different relaxation behavior than those compounds transferring into an A-type antiferromagnetic state. We ascribe the relaxations in both cases to the off-center motion of the manganese ions, which in the multiferroic systems also leads to the ferroelectric ordering.

cond-mat.str-el

Magnetic and magnetoelectric excitations in TbMnO$_3$

Magnetic and magnetoelectric excitations in the multiferroic TbMnO_3 have been investigated at terahertz frequencies. Using different experimental geometries we can clearly separate the electro-active excitations (electromagnons) from the magneto-active modes, i.e. antiferromagnetic resonances (AFMR). Two AFMR resonances were found to coincide with electromagnons. This indicates that both excitations belong to the same mode and the electromagnons can be excited by magnetic ac-field as well. In external magnetic fields and at low temperatures distinct fine structure of the electromagnons appears. In spite of the 90^o rotation of the magnetic structure, the electromagnons are observable for electric ac-fields parallel to the a-axis only. Contrary to simple expectations, the response along the c-axis remains purely magnetic in nature.

cond-mat.str-el

Terahertz spectroscopy of electromagnons in Eu_{1-x}Y_xMnO_3

Dielectric permittivity spectra of yttrium-doped EuMnO$_3$ in the composition range 0 =< x =< 0.5 have been investigated in the terahertz frequency range. Magnetoelectric contributions to the permittivity were observed in all compositions for ac electric fields parallel to the crystallographic a-axis. Well defined electromagnons exist for x >= 0.2 close to ν~ 20 cm^{-1} and with dielectric strength strongly increasing on doping. In addition to electromagnons, a broad contribution of magnetoelectric origin is observed for all compositions. For Eu_{0.8}Y_{0.2}MnO_3 the electromagnons can be suppressed by external magnetic fields which induce a canted antiferromagnetic phase. Magnetoelectric effects in the different doping regimes are discussed in detail.

cond-mat.str-el

Coupling of phonons and electromagnons in GdMnO_3

The infrared and Terahertz properties of GdMnO_3 have been investigated as function of temperature and magnetic field, with special emphasis on the phase boundary between the incommensurate and the canted antiferromagnetic structures. The heterogeneous incommensurate phase reveals strong magnetodielectric effects, characterized by significant magnetoelectric contributions to the static dielectric permittivity and by the existence of electrically excited magnons (electromagnons). In the commensurate canted antiferromagnetic phase the magnetoelectric contributions to the dielectric constant and electromagnons are suppressed. The corresponding spectral weight is transferred to the lowest lattice vibration demonstrating the strong coupling of phonons with electromagnons.

cond-mat.str-el

Scaling of THz-conductivity at metal-insulator transition in doped manganites

Magnetic field and temperature dependence of the Terahertz conductivity and permittivity of the colossal magnetoresistance manganite Pr_{0.65}Ca_{0.28}Sr_{0.07}MnO_3 (PCSMO) is investigated approaching the metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) from the insulating side. In the charge-ordered state of PCSMO both conductivity and dielectric permittivity increase as function of magnetic field and temperature. Universal scaling relationships between the changes in permittivity and conductivity are observed in a broad range of temperatures and magnetic fields. Similar scaling is also seen in La_{1-x}Sr_xMnO_3 for different doping levels. The observed proportionality points towards the importance of pure ac-conductivity and phononic energy scale at MIT in manganites.

cond-mat.str-el

The multiferroic phases of (Eu:Y)MnO3

We report on structural, magnetic, dielectric, and thermodynamic properties of (Eu:Y)MnO3 for Y doping levels 0 <= x < 1. This system resembles the multiferroic perovskite manganites RMnO3 (with R= Gd, Dy, Tb) but without the interference of magnetic contributions of the 4f-ions. In addition, it offers the possibility to continuously tune the influence of the A-site ionic radii. For small concentrations x <= 0.1 we find a canted antiferromagnetic and paraelectric groundstate. For higher concentrations x <= 0.3 ferroelectric polarization coexists with the features of a long wavelength incommensurate spiral magnetic phase analogous to the observations in TbMnO3. In the intermediate concentration range around x = 0.2 a multiferroic scenario is realized combining weak ferroelectricity and weak ferromagnetism, presumably due to a canted spiral magnetic structure.

cond-mat.str-el

Possible evidence for electromagnons in multiferroic manganites

Magnetodielectric materials are characterized by a strong coupling of magnetic and dielectric properties and in rare cases simultaneously exhibit both, magnetic and polar order. Among other multiferroics, TbMnO3 and GdMnO3 reveal a strong magneto-dielectric (ME) coupling and as a consequence fundamentally new spin excitations exist: Electro-active magnons, or electromagnons, i. e. spin waves which can be excited by ac electric fields. Here we show that these excitations appear in the phase with an incommensurate (IC) magnetic structure of the manganese spins. In external magnetic fields this IC structure can be suppressed and the electromagnons are wiped out, thereby inducing considerable changes in the index of refraction from dc up to THz frequencies. Hence, besides adding a new creature to the zoo of fundamental excitations, the refraction index can be tuned by moderate magnetic fields, which allows the design of a new generation of optical switches and optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.str-el