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A. V. Mahajan

Publications and source records attributed to A. V. Mahajan.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2013

BaV3O8: A possible Majumdar-Ghosh system with S=1/2

BaV3O8 contains both magnetic V4+(S=1/2) ions and non-magnetic V5+(S=0) ions. The V4+ ions are arranged in a coupled Majumdar-Ghosh chain like network. Our magnetic susceptibility chi(T) data fit well with the Curie-Weiss formula in the temperature range of 80-300K and it yields a Curie constant C=0.39cm3K/mole-V4+ and an antiferromagnetic Weiss temperature theta=-26K. The chi(T) curve shows a broad maximum at T~25K indicative of short-range order (SRO) and an anomaly corresponding to long-range order (LRO) at TN~6K. The value of the frustration index (f=mod[theta/TN]~5) suggests that the system is moderately frustrated. Above the LRO temperature the experimental magnetic susceptibility data match well with the coupled Majumdar-Ghosh chain model with the ratio of the nnn (next-nearest neighbor) to nn (nearest neighbor) magnetic coupling alpha=2 and Jnnn/kB=40K. In a mean-field approach when considering the inter-chain interactions, we obtain the total inter-chain coupling to be about 16K. The LRO anomaly at TN is also observe in the specific heat Cp(T) data and is not sensitive to an applied magnetic field up to 90kOe. A 51V NMR signal corresponding to the non-magnetic vanadium was observed. Anomalies at 6K were observed in the variation with temperature of the 51V NMR linewidth and in the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1, indicating that they are sensitive to the LRO onset and fluctuations at the magnetic V sites. The existence of two components (one short and another long) is observed in the spin-spin relaxation rate 1/T2 data in the vicinity of TN. The shorter component seems to be intimately connected with the magnetically ordered state. We suggest that both magnetically ordered and non-long range ordered (non-LRO) regions coexist in this compound below the long range ordering temperature.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2013

PbCu3TeO7: An S=1/2 staircase Kagome lattice with significant intra- and inter-plane couplings

We have synthesized polycrystalline and single crystal samples of PbCu3TeO7 and studied its properties via magnetic susceptibility chi(T) and heat-capacity Cp(T) measurements and also electronic structure calculations. Whereas the crystal structure is suggestive of the presence of a quasi-2D network of Cu2+ (S = 1/2) buckled staircase Kagome layers, the chi(T) data show magnetic anisotropy and three magnetic anomalies at temperatures, TN1 ~ 36 K, TN2 ~ 25 K, TN3 ~ 17 K, respectively. The chi(T) data follow the Curie-Weiss law above 200 K and a Curie-Weiss temperature Theta_CW ~ -150 K is obtained. The data deviate from the simple Curie-Weiss law below 200 K, which is well above TN1, suggesting the presence of competing magnetic interactions. The magnetic anomaly at TN3 appears to be of first-order from magnetization measurements, although our heat-capacity Cp(T) results do not display any anomaly at TN3. The hopping integrals obtained from our electronic structure calculations suggest the presence of significant intra-Kagome (next-nearest neighbor and diagonal) and inter-Kagome couplings. These couplings take the PbCu3TeO7 system away from a disordered ground state and lead to long-range order, in contrast to what might be expected for an ideal (isotropic) 2D Kagome system.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2013

Frustration induced disordered magnetism in Ba3RuTi2O9

The title compound Ba3RuTi2O9 crystallizes with a hexagonal unit cell. It contains layers of edge shared triangular network of Ru4+ (S=1) ions. Magnetic susceptibility chi(T) and heat capacity data show no long range magnetic ordering down to 1.8K. A Curie-Weiss (CW) fitting of chi(T) yields a large antiferromagnetic CW temperature theta_CW=-166K. However, in low field, a splitting of zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) chi(T) is observed below ~30K. Our measurements suggest that Ba3RuTi2O9 is a highly frustrated system but only a small fraction of the spins in this system undergo a transition to a frozen magnetic state below ~30K.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2012

Spin liquid behaviour in Jeff=1/2 triangular lattice Ba3IrTi2O9

Ba3IrTi2O9 crystallizes in a hexagonal structure consisting of a layered triangular arrangement of Ir4+ (Jeff=1/2). Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity data show no magnetic ordering down to 0.35K inspite of a strong magnetic coupling as evidenced by a large Curie-Weiss temperature=-130K. The magnetic heat capacity follows a power law at low temperature. Our measurements suggest that Ba3IrTi2O9 is a 5d, Ir-based (Jeff=1/2), quantum spin liquid on a 2D triangular lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2012

Magnetic behavior of Ba_{3}Cu_{3}Sc_{4}O_{12}

The chain-like system Ba_{3}Cu_{3}Sc_4O_{12} has potentially interesting magnetic properties due to the presence of Cu^{2+} and a structure-suggested low-dimensionality. We present magnetization M versus magnetic field H and temperature T, T- and H-dependent heat-capacity C_{p}, ^{45}Sc nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), muon spin rotation (μSR), neutron diffraction measurements and electronic structure calculations for Ba_{3}Cu_{3}Sc_{4}O_{12}. The onset of magnetic long-range antiferromagnetic order at T_{N} ~16 K is consistently evidenced from the whole gamut of our data. A significant sensitivity of T_{N} to the applied magnetic field H (T_{N}~0 K for H=70 kOe) is also reported. Coupled with a ferromagnetic Curie-Weiss temperature (θ_{CW}~65 K) in the susceptibility (from a 100 K-300 K fit), it is indicative of competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. These indications are corroborated by our density functional theory based electronic structure calculations where we find the presence of significant ferromagnetic couplings between some copper ions whereas AF couplings were present between some others. Our experimental data, backed by our theoretical calculations, rule out one-dimensional magnetic behaviour suggested by the structure and the observed long-range order is due to the presence of non-negligible magnetic interactions between adjacent as well as next-nearest chains.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2011

Magnetic properties and spin dynamics of 3d-4f molecular complexes

We present the magnetic properties of three recently synthesized binuclear molecular complexes [NiNd], [NiGd] and [ZnGd] investigated by dc magnetization and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. The high-temperature magnetic properties are related to the independent paramagnetic behavior of the two magnetic metal ions within the binuclear entities both in [NiNd] and [NiGd]. On lowering the temperature, the formation of a magnetic dimer, with a low-spin ground state due to antiferromagnetic interaction (J/kB = -25 K) between Ni2+ and Nd3+, is found in the case of [NiNd], while in [NiGd] a ferromagnetic interaction (J/kB = 3.31 K) between the magnetic ions leads to a high-spin (S = 9/2) ground state. The temperature dependence of the proton nuclear spin lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 in [NiNd] is driven by the fluctuation of the hyperfine field at the nuclear site due to relaxation of the magnetization. At high temperature the independent Ni2+ and Nd3+ spins fluctuate fast while at low temperature we observe a slowing down of the fluctuation of the total magnetization of the dimer because of the insurgence of antiferromagnetic spin correlations. The relaxation mechanism in [NiNd] at low temperature is interpreted by a single, temperature dependent, correlation frequency wc\simT^3.5, which reflects the life time broadening of the exchange coupled spins via spin-phonon interaction. The proton NMR signal in [NiGd] could be detected just at room temperature, due to the shortening of relaxation times when T is decreased. The magnetic properties of [ZnGd] are the ones expected from a weakly interacting assembly of isolated moments except for anomalies in the susceptibility and NMR results below 15 K which currently cannot be explained.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2011

75As NMR probe of antiferromagnetic fluctuations in Ba(Fe1-xRux)2As2

The evolution of 75As NMR parameters with composition and temperature was probed in the Ba(Fe1-xRux)2As2 system where Fe is replaced by isovalent Ru. While the Ru-end member was found to be a conventional Fermi liquid, the composition (x=0.5) corresponding to the highest Tc (20K) in this system shows an upturn in 75As 1/T1T below about 80 K evidencing the presence of antiferromagnetic (AFM) fluctuations. These results are similar to those obtained in another system with isovalent substitution BaFe2(As1-xPx)2 [Y. Nakai, T. Iye, S. Kitagawa, K. Ishida, H. Ikeda, S. Kasahara, H. Shishido, T. Shibauchi, Y. Matsuda, and T. Terashima, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 107003 (2010)] and point to the possible role of AFM fluctuations in driving superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

119Sn NMR probe of magnetic fluctuations in SnO2 nanoparticles

119Sn nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T1) in SnO2 nanoparticles were measured as a function of temperature and compared with those of SnO2 bulk sample. A 15% loss of 119Sn NMR signal intensity for the nano sample compared to the bulk sample was observed. This is indicative of ferromagnetism from a small fraction of the sample. Another major finding is that the recovery of the 119Sn longitudinal nuclear magnetization in the nano sample follows a stretched exponential behavior, as opposed to that in bulk which is exponential. Further, the 119Sn 1/T1 at room temperature is found to be much higher for the nano sample than for its bulk counterpart. These results indicate the presence of magnetic fluctuations in SnO2 nanoparticles in contrast to the bulk (non-nano) which is diamagnetic. These local moments could arise from surface defects in the nanoparticles.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2010

Impurity effects in coupled-ladder BiCu2PO6 studied by NMR and quantum Monte Carlo simulations

We present a 31P NMR study of the coupled spin 1/2 ladder compound BiCu2PO6. In the pure material, intrinsic susceptibility and dynamics show a spin gap of about . Substitution of non magnetic Zn or magnetic Ni impurity at Cu site induces a staggered magnetization which results in a broadening of the 31P NMR line, while susceptibility far from the defects is unaffected. The effect of Ni on the NMR line broadening is twice that of Zn, which is consistent with Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations assuming that Ni couples ferromagnetically to its adjacent Cu. The induced moment follows a 1/T temperature dependence due to the Curie-like development of the moment amplitude while its extension saturates and does not depend on impurity content or nature. This allow us to verify the generically expected scenario for impurity doping and to extend it to magnetic impurity case: in an antiferromagnetically correlated low dimensional spin system with antiferromagnetic correlations, any type of impurity induces a staggered moment at low temperature, whose extension is not linked to the impurity nature but to the intrinsic physics at play in the undoped pure system, from 1D to 2D systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2010

Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity of a novel antiferromagnet: LiNi2P3O10 and the effect of doping

We report the synthesis, x-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements on polycrystalline samples of undoped LiNi2P3O10 and samples with non-magnetic impurity (Zn2+, S = 0) and magnetic impurity (Cu2+, S = 1/2) at the Ni site. The magnetic susceptibility data show a broad maximum at around 10 K and a small anomaly at about 7 K in the undoped sample.There is a lambda-like anomaly in the specific heat at 7 K, possibly due to the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering in the system. The magnetic entropy change at the ordering temperature is close to the value corresponding to Rln(2S+1) expected for an S = 1 system. The temperature corresponding to the broad maximum and the ordering temperature both decrease on Zn and Cu substitutions and also in applied magnetic fields.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2009

Doping effects in the coupled, two-leg spin ladder BiCu2PO6

We report preparation, x-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility chi(T) and heat capacity Cp(T) measurements on the undoped samples as also samples with Zn-doped (S = 0) at Cu site, Ni doped (S = 1) at Cu site, and Ca-doped (holes) at Bi site in the coupled two-leg spin ladder system BiCu2PO6. While, Zn shows complete solid solubility, Ni could be doped to about 20% and Ca to about 15%. Magnetization and heat capacity data in the undoped compound point towards the existence of frustration effects. In all the samples, the chi(T) at low temperature increases with doping content. The Zn-induced susceptibility is smaller than that due to effective S=1/2 moments possibly due to frustrating next-nearest-neighbor interactions along the leg. For Zn content x > 0.01, chi(T) deviates from the Curie-law at low temperatures. The magnetic specific heat data Cm(T) for the Zn-doped samples show weak anomalies at low temperature in agreement with chi(T) behavior. The anomalies are suggestive of spin freezing at low-T. In contrast, prominent effects are observed in chi(T) and Cm(T) on Ni-doped samples. The zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) chi(T) data are different from each other at low temperature unlike that for Zn doped samples, clearly indicating a transition to a spin-glass like phase. No anomalies were found in Ca- or Pb-doped samples.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2009

Impurity-induced magnetic order in low dimensional spin gapped materials

We have studied the effect of non-magnetic Zn impurities in the coupled spin-ladder Bi(Cu1xZnx)2PO6 using 31P NMR, muSR and Quantum Monte Carlo simulations. Our results show that the impurities induce in their vicinity antiferromagnetic polarizations, extending over a few unit cells. At low temperature, these extended moments freeze in a process which is found universal among various other spin-gapped compounds: isolated ladders, Haldane or Spin-Peierls chains. This allows us to propose a simple common framework to explain the generic low-temperature impurity induced freezings observed in low dimensional spin-gapped materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2009

Spin dynamics in Heisenberg triangular antiferromagnets: A muSR study of LiCrO2

We report a muSR study of LiCrO2, which has a magnetic lattice made up of a stacking of triangular Heisenberg antiferromagnetic (Cr3+, S = 3/2) layers. A static magnetically ordered state is observed below the transition temperature T_N = 62 K, while the expected peak of the relaxation rate is slightly shifted downward by a few kelvins below T_N. We draw a comparison with the isostructural compound NaCrO2, where an exotic broad fluctuating regime has been observed [A. Olariu, P. Mendels, F. Bert, B. G. Ueland, P. Schiffer, R. F. Berger, and R. J. Cava, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 167203 (2006)] and was suggested to originate from topological excitations of the triangular lattice. Replacing Na by Li strongly narrows the exotic fluctuating regime formerly observed in NaCrO2, which we attribute to a more pronounced inter-plane coupling in LiCrO2.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2007

Electronic structure of spin 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic systems: Ba_2Cu(PO_4)_2 and Sr_2Cu(PO_4)_2

We have employed first principles calculations to study the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the low-dimensional phosphates, Ba2Cu(PO4)2 and Sr2Cu(PO4)2. Using the self-consistent tight-binding lin- earized muffin-tin orbital method and the Nth order muffin-tin orbital method, we have calculated the various intrachain as well as the interchain hopping parameters between the magnetic ions Cu2+ for both the com- pounds. We find that the nearest-neighbor intrachain hopping t is the dominant interaction suggesting the compounds to be indeed one dimensional. Our analysis of the band dispersion, orbital projected band struc- tures, and the hopping parameters confirms that the Cu2+-Cu2+ super-super exchange interaction takes place along the crystallographic b direction mediated by O-P-O. We have also analyzed in detail the origin of short-range exchange interaction for these systems. Our ab initio estimate of the ratio of the exchange inter- action of Sr2Cu(PO4)2 to that of Ba2Cu(PO4)2 compares excellently with available experimental results.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2007

Spin-gap behaviour in the 2-leg spin-ladder BiCu2PO6

We present magnetic suscceptibility and heat capacity data on a new S=1/2 two-leg spin ladder compound BiCu2PO6. From our susceptibility analysis, we find that the leg coupling J1/k_B is ~ 80 K and the ratio of the rung to leg coupling J2/J1 ~ 0.9. We present the magnetic contribution to the heat capacity of a two-leg ladder. The spin-gap Delta/k_B =3 4 K obtained from the heat capacity agrees very well with that obtained from the magnetic susceptibility. Significant inter-ladder coupling is suggested from the susceptibility analysis. The hopping integrals determined using Nth order muffin tin orbital (NMTO) based downfolding method lead to ratios of various exchange couplings in agreement with our experimental data. Based on our band structure analysis, we find the inter-ladder coupling in the bc-plane J2 to be about 0.75J1 placing the compound presumably close to the quantum critical limit.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2006

7Li NMR, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity studies on the triangular lattice system LiCrO2

We report 7Li NMR, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements on the triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet compound LiCrO2. We find that in contrast to NaCrO2, magnetic properties of LiCrO2 have a more pronounced three dimensional character with sharp anomalies in the temperature variation of the 7Li NMR intensity and the NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1. From heat capacity measurements we find that the total entropy related to the magnetic transition is in agreement with expectations. However, we find a significant contribution to the magnetic entropy in the range from the ordering temperature T_N to nearly 4T_N. This suggests the existence of magnetic correlations at temperatures well above T_N which might be due to the frustrated nature of the system. Based on the temperature dependence of 1/T1, we discuss the possible occurrence of a Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii transition taking place at T_KTB = 55 K in LiCrO2. Lithium depletion has no significant effect on the magnetic properties and the behaviour of Li0.5CrO2 is nearly unchanged from that of LiCrO2.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2006

31P NMR study of Na2CuP2O7: a S=1/2 two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnetic system

The magnetic properties of Na2CuP2O7 were investigated by means of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements. We report the 31P NMR shift, the spin-lattice 1/T1, and spin-spin 1/T2 relaxation-rate data as a function of temperature T. The temperature dependence of the NMR shift K(T) is well described by the S=1/2 square lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnetic (HAF) model with an intraplanar exchange of J/k_B \simeq 18\pm2 K and a hyperfine coupling A = (3533\pm185) Oe/mu_B. The 31P NMR spectrum was found to broaden abruptly below T \sim 10 K signifying some kind of transition. However, no anomaly was noticed in the bulk susceptibility data down to 1.8 K. The heat capacity appears to have a weak maximum around 10 K. With decrease in temperatures, the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 decreases monotonically and appears to agree well with the high temperature series expansion expression for a S = 1/2 2D square lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗