arXiv subjects

Ivan da Silva

Publications and source records attributed to Ivan da Silva.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Bulk magnetic properties of distorted square lattice compounds M'-LnTaO4 (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er)

We report bulk magnetic properties of the monoclinic lanthanide tantalates, M'-LnTaO4 (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er), where the magnetic Ln3+ ions are arranged on a distorted 2D square lattice. The heavier analogue M'-YbTaO4 has been investigated as a spin-orbit-coupled, quasi-two-dimensional frustrated magnet, and the properties of the other M'-LnTaO4 are expected to vary depending on the electronic configuration of the Ln ion, namely Kramers vs non-Kramers behaviour and different crystal electric field parameters. In this work, powder neutron diffraction is used to confirm the crystal structure for Ln = Tb, Ho, Er, and to determine the magnetic structure of M'-TbTaO4, which displays long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) order below T_N = 2.1 K. The Tb3+ moments are aligned primarily along the c-axis with AFM nearest-neighbour interactions. Susceptibility data suggest that M'-DyTaO4 may display short-range ordering around 2.7 K, while M'-HoTaO4 and M'-ErTaO4 show AFM correlations but do not order above 1.8 K. Measurements of the magnetic specific heat provide evidence for a Kramers doublet ground state in M'-ErTaO4, similar to its heavier analogue M'-YbTaO4.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Evidence of Dirac Quantum Spin Liquid in YbZn2GaO5

The emergence of a quantum spin liquid (QSL), a state of matter that can result when electron spins are highly correlated but do not become ordered, has been the subject of a considerable body of research in condensed matter physics. Spin liquid states have been proposed as hosts for high-temperature superconductivity and can host topological properties with potential applications in quantum information science. The excitations of most quantum spin liquids are not conventional spin waves but rather quasiparticles known as spinons, whose existence is well established experimentally only in one-dimensional systems; the unambiguous experimental realization of QSL behavior in higher dimensions remains challenging. Here, we investigate the novel compound YbZn2GaO5, which hosts an ideal triangular lattice of effective spin-1/2 moments with no detectable inherent chemical disorder. Thermodynamic and inelastic neutron scattering measurements performed on high-quality single crystal samples of YbZn2GaO5 exclude the possibility of long-range magnetic ordering down to 0.06 K, demonstrate a quadratic power law for the specific heat and reveal a continuum of magnetic excitations in parts of the Brillouin zone. Both low-temperature thermodynamics and inelastic neutron scattering spectra suggest that YbZn2GaO5 is a U(1) Dirac QSL with spinon excitations concentrated at certain points in the Brillouin zone. We advanced these results by performing additional specific heat measurements under finite fields, further confirming the theoretical expectations for a Dirac QSL on the triangular lattice of YbZn2GaO5.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

A ferrotoroidic candidate with well-separated spin chains

The search of novel quasi one-dimensional (1D) materials is one of the important aspects in the field of material science. Toroidal moment, the order parameter of ferrotoroidic order, can be generated by a head-to-tail configuration of magnetic moment. It has been theoretically proposed that one-dimensional (1D) dimerized and antiferromagnetic-like spin chain hosts ferrotoroidicity and has the toroidal moment composed of only two antiparallel spins. Here, we report a ferrotoroidic candidate of Ba6Cr2S10 with such a theoretical model of spin chain. The structure consists of unique dimerized face-sharing CrS6 octahedral chains along the c axis. An antiferromagnetic-like ordering at ~10 K breaks both space- and time-reversal symmetries and the magnetic point group of mm'2' allows three ferroic orders in Ba6Cr2S10: (anti)ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferrotoroidic orders. Our investigation reveals that Ba6Cr2S10 is a rare ferrotoroidic candidate with quasi 1D spin chain, which can be considered as a starting point for the further exploration of the physics and applications of ferrotoroidicity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Magnetic correlations in subsystems of the misfit [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$] cobaltate

[Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$], a two dimensional misfit metallic compound, is famous for its rich phases accessed by temperature, $i.e.$ high temperature spin-state transition, metal-insulator transition (MIT) at intermediate temperature ($\sim$ 100 K) and low temperature spin density wave (SDW). It enters into SDW phase below T$_{MIT}$ which becomes long range at 27 K. Information on the independent role of misfit layers (rocksalt/Ca$_2$CoO$_3$ \& triangular/CoO$_2$) in these phases is scarce. By combining a set of complementary macroscopic (DC magnetization and resistivity) and microscopic (neutron diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy) measurements on pure (CCO) and Tb substituted in the rocksalt layer of CCO (CCO1), magnetic correlations in both subsystems of this misfit compound are unraveled. CCO is found to exhibit glassiness, as well as exchange bias (EB) effects, while CCO1 does not exhibit glassiness, albeit it shows weaker EB effect. By combining local structure investigations from extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and neutron diffraction results on CCO, we confirm that the SDW arises in the CoO$_2$ layer. Our results show that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy associated with the rocksalt layer acts as a source of pinning, which is responsible for EB effect. Ferromagnetic clusters in the Ca$_2$CoO$_3$ affects SDW in CoO$_2$ and ultimately glassiness arises.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Strengthening the magnetic interactions in pseudobinary first-row transition metal thiocyanates, $\it{M}$(NCS)$_{2}$

Understanding the effect of chemical composition on the strength of magnetic interactions is key to the design of magnets with stronger exchange interactions. The magnetic divalent first-row transition metal (TM) thiocyanates are a class of chemically simple layered molecular frameworks. Here, we report two new members of the family, manganese (II) thiocyanate, Mn(NCS)$_{2}$, and iron (II) thiocyanate, Fe(NCS)$_{2}$. Using magnetic susceptibility measurements on these materials and on cobalt (II) thiocyanate and nickel (II) thiocyanate, Co(NCS)$_{2}$ and Ni(NCS)$_{2}$, respectively, we identify significantly stronger net antiferromagnetic interactions between the earlier TM ions-a decrease in the Weiss constant, θ, from 29 K for Ni(NCS)$_{2}$ to -115 K for Mn(NCS)$_{2}$-a consequence of more diffuse 3d orbitals, increased orbital overlap and increasing numbers of unpaired $\it{t}$$_{2g}$ electrons. We elucidate the magnetic structures of these materials: Mn(NCS)$_{2}$, Fe(NCS)$_{2}$ and Co(NCS)$_{2}$ order into the same antiferromagnetic commensurate ground state, whilst Ni(NCS)$_{2}$ adopts a ground state structure consisting of ferromagnetically ordered layers stacked antiferromagnetically. We show that magnetic molecular frameworks with significantly stronger net exchange interactions can be constructed by using earlier TMs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Suppression of long-range ordering and multiferroicity in Sr-substituted Ba3-xSrxMnNb2O9 (x = 1 and 3)

Effects of Sr substitution at A-site in ordered perovskite Ba3-xSrxMnNb2O9 (x = 1 and 3) have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, magnetization, dielectric/magnetodielectric and neutron diffraction measurements. The parent compound Ba3MnNb2O9 having a large spin (S=5/2) is known to exhibit type-II multiferroic properties with quasi 2D triangular lattice antiferromagnetic ground state. A slight perturbation in exchange interaction due to substitution of smaller size isovalent ion at the A-site in Ba3-xSrxMnNb2O9 (x = 1 and 3) has been found to alter the ground states drastically and hence the multiferroicity. The crucial role of various fluctuations (quantum and/or thermal), weak lattice distortion induced by Sr-substitution and slight imbalance between different fluctuations in determining the ground states and the multiferroicity is discussed and compared with the results of smaller spin compounds (S = 1/2 or 1).

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Colossal pressure-induced softening in scandium fluoride

The counter-intuitive phenomenon of pressure-induced softening in materials is likely to be caused by the same dynamical behaviour that produces negative thermal expansion. Through a combination of molecular dynamics simulation on an idealised model and neutron diffraction at variable temperature and pressure, we show the existence of extraordinary and unprecedented pressure-induced softening in the negative thermal expansion material scandium fluoride, ScF$_3$, with values of the pressure-derivative of the bulk modulus $B$, $B^\prime = \partial B / \partial P$, reaching as low as $-40 \pm 1$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Incommensurate charge and spin density wave order in electron doped SrMn1-xWxO3 (x= 0.08 to 0.1875)

Incommensurate (IC) charge-order (CO) and spin density wave (SDW) order in electron doped SrMn1-xWxO3-δ (x= 0.08 to 0.1875) have been studied using neutron diffraction.The study highlights the drastic effect of electron doping on the emergence of magnetic ground states which were not revealed in manganites before. With increasing (x) the crystal structure changes from simple tetragonal (P4/mmm) to an IC-CO modulated structure with super space-group P2/m(α\b{eta}0)00 having ab-planer ferro order of 3dx2-y2 orbitals in a compressed tetragonal (c 0.1, a different C-type AFM order with propagation vector k = (1/2,0,1/2), coexists with an incommensurate SDW order with k = (0.12, 0.38, 1/2).For compositions with 0.1625 < x < 0.175, while the structural features of CDW and orbital-order remain qualitatively the same, the magnetic interaction gets modified and results another SDW phase with single incommensurate propagation vector k = (0.07, 0.43, 1/2). A detail magnetic and structural phase-diagram, as a function of W substitution for SrMn1-xWxO3 (0.08 < x < 0.4) is presented.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Evidence of a cluster spin-glass state in the B-site disordered perovskite SrTi0.5Mn0.5O3

SrTi0.5Mn0.5O3 (STMO) is a chemically disordered perovskite having random distribution of Ti and Mn over 1b site. Striking discrepancies about the structural and magnetic properties of STMO demands detailed analysis which is addressed. To explore the magnetic ground state of STMO, static and dynamic magnetic properties were studied over a broad temperature range (2-300 K). The dc, ac magnetization show a cusp like peak at Tf ~ 14 K, which exhibits field and frequency dependence. The thermoremanent magnetization is characterized by using stretched exponential function and characteristic time suggests the existence of spin clusters. Also the other features observed in magnetic memory effect, muon spin resonance/rotation and neutron powder diffraction confirm the existence of cluster spin glass state in STMO, rather than the long range ordered ground state. Intriguingly, the observed spin relaxation can be attributed to the dilute magnetism due to non-magnetic doping at Mn-site and competing antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions resulting from the site disorder.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

MuSR and neutron diffraction studies on the tuning of spin-glass phase in partially ordered double perovskite SrMn$_{1-x}$W$_x$O$_3$

Tunability of the partially ordered double perovskite (PODP) and coexisting spin-glass phase in SrMn1-xWxO3 (x=0.20 to 0.40) have been studied using neutron powder diffraction (NPD), muon spin relaxation (MuSR), and magnetic susceptibility (X) measurements. Structural studies reveal that SrMn1-xWxO3 undergoes a quasi-continuous transformation from simple perovskite (Pm-3m) to PODP (P21/n) phase as x increases. Xdc(T) and Xac(T) measurements show a sharp cusp-like peak at a spin glass transition, Tg. The muon relaxation rate (λ) peaks at Tg following a critical growth, given by λ=λ(0).t-w [t=(T-Tg)/Tg]. However, no long-range magnetic order is observed in NPD below Tg. These measurements confirm a tunable spin-glass freezing in SrMn1-xWxO3 with Tg monotonously decreasing with W content, which we attribute to tuning the relative concentration of the coexisting Mn-O-Mn and Mn-O-W-O-Mn anti-ferromagnetic super-exchange pathways altering the geometric frustration.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗