arXiv subjects

N. Qureshi

Publications and source records attributed to N. Qureshi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Vortex order in magnetic frustrated GeNi$_2$O$_4$ and GeCo$_2$O$_4$ spinels

In the search for new spin textures based on singular magnetic objects like Bloch-points or vortices, spinel compounds emerge as an interesting playground due to the interplay between magnetic anisotropy and complex interactions that extend well beyond first neighbors on a pyrochlore lattice. Based on an exploration of the exchange interaction phase diagrams of members of the Ge$B_2$O$_4$ family with $B$=Co and Ni, we show, using simultaneous modeling of inelastic neutron scattering measurements and single-crystal neutron diffraction data, that a 2-$k$ magnetic structure may be stabilized in these compounds. This leads to a short period spin vortex crystal, a variant induced by the magnetic anisotropy of the 3-$k$ Bloch-point structure predicted for isotropic spins. Our study rationalizes the formation of these multi-$k$ spin textures in frustrated antiferromagnets, as well as their anisotropy-dependent evolution.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Magnetic properties of the zigzag ladder compound SrTb2O4

We report on the properties of SrTb2O4, a frustrated zigzag ladder antiferromagnet, studied by single crystal neutron diffraction (with polarised neutrons in zero field and unpolarised neutrons in an applied magnetic field), as well as by neutron spectroscopy on a polycrystalline sample. The neutron scattering results are supported by single crystal magnetisation and heat capacity measurements. In zero field, neutron diffraction data show no transition to a magnetically ordered state down to the lowest experimentally available temperature of 35 mK, and the material remains magnetically disordered down to this temperature. Polarised neutron diffraction measurements reveal the presence of a diffuse scattering signal suggesting only very weak spin-spin correlations in the ground state. For H // c (the easy magnetisation direction), we followed the magnetisation process using neutron diffraction measurements and observed the appearance of field-induced magnetic Bragg peaks with integer h and k indices in the (hk0) scattering plane. No magnetic peaks with a non-zero propagation vector were detected. The observed in-field data fit well to a simple two-sublattice model with magnetic moments aligned along the field direction but being significantly different in magnitude for the two inequivalent Tb3+ sites in the unit cell. Overall, the collected data point to a nonmagnetic ground state in SrTb2O4 despite the presence of strong interactions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Acoustic lattice instabilities at the magneto-structural transition in Fe$_{1.057(7)}$Te

Fe$_{1.057(7)}$Te undergoes a first-order tetragonal to monoclinc structural transition at T$_{S} \sim 70$ K, breaking the C$_{4}$ lattice symmetry and simultaneously breaking time reversal symmetry with bicollinear magnetic order. We investigate the soft acoustic lattice dynamics near this combined magneto-structural transition. We apply spherically neutron polarimetry to study the static magnetism near this transition, characterized with x-ray powder diffraction, and find no evidence of static incommensurate magnetic correlations near the onset of monoclinic and bicollinear antiferromagnetic order. This fixes the position of our single crystal sample in the Fe$_{1+x}$Te phase diagram in the magnetic bicollinear region and illustrates that our sample statically undergoes a transition from a paramagnetic phase to a low-temperature bicollinear phase. We then apply neutron spectroscopy to study the acoustic phonons, related to elastic deformations of the lattice. We find a temperature dependent soft acoustic branch for phonons propagating along [010] and polarized along [100]. The slope of this acoustic phonon branch is sensitive to the elastic constant $C_{66}$ and the shear modulus. The temperature dependence of this branch displays a softening with a minimum near the magneto-structural transition of T$_{S}$ $\sim$ 70 K and a recovery within the magnetically ordered low temperature phase. Soft acoustic instabilities are present in the collinear phases of the chalcogenides Fe$_{1+x}$Te where nematic order found in Fe$_{1+\delta}$Se is absent. We speculate, based on localized single-ion magnetism, that the relative energy scale of magnetic spin-orbital coupling on the Fe$^{2+}$ transition metal ion is important for the presence of a nematicity in the chalcogenides.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Neutron scattering sum rules, symmetric exchanges, and helicoidal magnetism in MnSb$_2$O$_6$

MnSb$_{2}$O$_{6}$ is based on the noncentrosymmetric $P321$ space group with magnetic Mn$^{2+}$ ($S={5/2}$, $L\approx 0$) spins ordering below $T_{\mathrm{N}}=12$ K in a helicoidal structure. The ground state magnetic structure, expected to be built and originate from 7 Heisenberg exchange constants, has been shown to be coupled to the underlying crystallographic chirality with polar domain switching being reported. We apply neutron spectroscopy to extract these symmetric exchange constants. Given the high complexity of the magnetic exchange network, crystallographic structure and complications fitting linear spin-wave models, we take advantage of multiplexed neutron instrumentation to use the first moment sum rule of neutron scattering to estimate the 7 exchange constants. We then use these parameters to calculate the low-energy spin-waves in the Néel state to reproduce the neutron response without strong antisymmetric coupling. Using Green's response functions, the stability of long-wavelength excitations in the context of proposed magnetic structures is then discussed. The results show the presence of strong exchange constants for the chiral exchange pathways and illustrate an underlying coupling between crystallographic and magnetic ``chirality" through predominantely symmetric exchange.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Experimental Evidence for the Spiral Spin Liquid in LiYbO$_2$

Spiral spin liquids are an exotic class of correlated paramagnets with an enigmatic magnetic ground state composed of a degenerate manifold of fluctuating spin spirals. Experimental realisations of the spiral spin liquid are scarce, mainly due to the prominence of structural distortions in candidate materials that can trigger order-by-disorder transitions to more conventionally ordered magnetic ground states. Expanding the pool of candidate materials that may host a spiral spin liquid is therefore crucial to realising this novel magnetic ground state and understanding its robustness against perturbations that arise in real materials. Here, we show that the material LiYbO$_2$ is the first experimental realisation of a spiral spin liquid predicted to emerge from the $J_1$-$J_2$ Heisenberg model on an elongated diamond lattice. Through a complementary combination of high-resolution and diffuse neutron magnetic scattering studies on a polycrystalline sample, we demonstrate that LiYbO$_2$ fulfils the requirements for the experimental realisation of the spiral spin liquid and reconstruct single-crystal diffuse neutron magnetic scattering maps that reveal continuous spiral spin contours -- a characteristic experimental hallmark of this exotic magnetic phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Possible stripe phases in the multiple magnetization plateaus in TbB$_4$ derived from single-crystal neutron diffraction under pulsed high magnetic fields

We present a single-crystal neutron diffraction study on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice system TbB$_4$ at zero magnetic field and under pulsed high magnetic fields up to 35 T applied along the crystallographic $c$ axis. While our results confirm the magnetic structures at zero-field as well as those at the half- and full-magnetization plateaus, they offer new insight into the $\frac{2}{9}$- and $\frac{1}{3}$-magnetization plateaus observed in this system. A stripe model of polarized 4-spin-plaquettes whose stripe density proportionally increases with the macroscopic magnetization is in full agreement with the neutron diffraction data. Equally well suited alternative models exist which explain the observed Bragg peaks which are inherently limited in a pulsed high magnetic field experiment. We discuss the different intensity distribution in $Q$ space which can be used to distinguish these models in future experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Neutron diffraction in MnSb2O6: Magnetic and structural domains in a helicoidal polar magnet with coupled chiralities

MnSb$_{2}$O$_{6}$ is based on the structural chiral $P$321 space group #150 where the magnetic Mn$^{2+}$ moments ($S=5/2$, $L\approx 0$) order antiferromagnetically at $T_\mathrm{N}=12$ K. Unlike the related iron based langasite (Ba$_3$NbFe$_3$Si$_2$O$_{14}$) where the low temperature magnetism is based on a proper helix characterized by a time-even pseudoscalar `magnetic' chirality, the Mn$^{2+}$ ions in MnSb$_{2}$O$_{6}$ order with a cycloidal structure at low temperatures, described instead by a time-even vector `magnetic' polarity. A tilted cycloidal structure has been found [M. Kinoshita et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 047201 (2016)] to facilitate ferroelectric switching under an applied magnetic field. In this work, we apply polarized and unpolarized neutron diffraction analyzing the magnetic and nuclear structures in MnSb$_{2}$O$_{6}$ with the aim of understanding this magnetoelectric coupling. We find no evidence for a helicoidal magnetic structure with one of the spin envelope axes tilted away from the cycloidal $c$-axis. However, on application of a magnetic field $\parallel$ $\vec{c}$ the spin rotation plane can be tilted, giving rise to a cycloid-helix admixture that evolves towards a distorted helix (zero cycloidal component) for fields great than $\approx$ 2 T. We propose a mechanism for the previously reported ferroelectric switching based on coupled structural and magnetic chiralities requiring only an imbalance of structural chiral domains.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Magnetic structures of geometrically frustrated SrGd$_2$O$_4$ derived from powder and single-crystal neutron diffraction

We present the low-temperature magnetic structures of SrGd$_2$O$_4$ combining neutron diffraction methods on polycrystalline and single-crystal samples containing the $^{160}$Gd isotope. In contrast to other members of the Sr$Ln_2$O$_4$ family ($Ln$ = lanthanide) this system reveals two long-range ordered magnetic phases, which our diffraction data unambiguously identify. Below $T_{\rm N1}$ = 2.73~K, a $\mathbf{q}_1$ = (0 0 0) magnetic structure is stabilized where ferromagnetic chains along the $c$~axis (space group $Pnam$) are coupled antiferromagnetically with neighboring chains. On cooling below $T_{\rm N2}$ = 0.48~K, an additional incommensurate component modulated by $\mathbf{q}_2$ = (0~0~0.42) evolves and aligned along either of the perpendicular axes for the two different Gd sites, resulting in a fan-like magnetic structure. The identification of the particular Gd sites with the magnetic order observed with neutron diffraction is facilitated by a detailed analysis of the crystal fields acting on the sites. The observed ordering phenomena underline the complex multiaxial anisotropy in this system.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Magnetic structure and low temperature properties of geometrically frustrated SrNd$_2$O$_4$

We report the low-temperature properties of SrNd$_2$O$_4$, a geometrically frustrated magnet. Magnetisation and heat capacity measurements performed on polycrystalline samples indicate the appearance of a magnetically ordered state at $T_{\rm N}=2.28(4)$~K. Powder neutron diffraction measurements reveal that an \afm\ state with the propagation vector \QV\ is stabilised below this temperature. The magnetic order is incomplete, as only one of the two Nd$^{3+}$ sites carries a significant magnetic moment while the other site remains largely disordered. The presence of a disordered magnetic component below $T_{\rm N}$ is confirmed with polarised neutron diffraction measurements. In an applied magnetic field, the bulk properties measurements indicate a phase transition at about 30~kOe. We construct a tentative $H$-$T$ phase diagram of \sno\ from these measurements.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

From one- to two-magnon excitations in the S=3/2 magnet $β$-CaCr$_2$O$_4$

We apply neutron spectroscopy to measure the magnetic dynamics in the S=3/2 magnet $β$-CaCr$_2$O$_4$ (T$_N$=21 K). The low-energy fluctuations, in the ordered state, resemble large-S linear spin-waves from the incommensurate ground state. However, at higher energy transfers, these semi-classical and harmonic dynamics are replaced by an energy and momentum broadened continuum of excitations. Applying kinematic constraints required for energy and momentum conservation, sum rules of neutron scattering, and comparison against exact diagonalization calculations, we show that the dynamics at high-energy transfers resemble low-S one-dimensional quantum fluctuations. $β$-CaCr$_2$O$_4$ represents an example of a magnet at the border between classical Néel and quantum phases, displaying dual characteristics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Magnetic surface reconstruction in the van-der-Waals antiferromagnet Fe$_{1+x}$Te

Fe$_{1+x}$Te is a two dimensional van der Waals antiferromagnet that becomes superconducting on anion substitution on the Te site. The parent phase of Fe$_{1+x}$Te is sensitive to the amount of interstitial iron situated between the iron-tellurium layers displaying collinear magnetic order coexisting with low temperature metallic resistivity for small concentrations of interstitial iron $x$ and helical magnetic order for large values of $x$. While this phase diagram has been established through scattering [see for example E. E. Rodriguez $\textit{et al.}$ Phys. Rev. B ${\bf{84}}$, 064403 (2011) and S. Rössler $\textit{et al.}$ Phys. Rev. B ${\bf{84}}$, 174506 (2011)], recent scanning tunnelling microscopy measurements [C. Trainer $\textit{et al.}$ Sci. Adv. ${\bf{5}}$, eaav3478 (2019)] have observed a different magnetic structure for small interstitial iron concentrations $x$ with a significant canting of the magnetic moments along the crystallographic $c$ axis of $θ$=28 $\pm$ 3$^{\circ}$. In this paper, we revisit the magnetic structure of Fe$_{1.09}$Te using spherical neutron polarimetry and scanning tunnelling microscopy to search for this canting in the bulk phase and compare surface and bulk magnetism. The results show that the bulk magnetic structure of Fe$_{1.09}$Te is consistent with collinear in-plane order ($θ=0$ with an error of $\sim$ 5$^{\circ}$). Comparison with scanning tunnelling microscopy on a series of Fe$_{1+x}$Te samples reveals that the surface exhibits a magnetic surface reconstruction with a canting angle of the spins of $θ=29.8^{\circ}$. We suggest that this is a consequence of structural relaxation of the surface layer resulting in an out-of-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The magnetism in Fe$_{1+x}$Te displays different properties at the surface when the symmetry constraints of the bulk are removed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Structural dimerization in the commensurate magnetic phases of NaFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ and MnWO$_4$

The structural distortion and magnetoelastic coupling induced through commensurate magnetism has been investigated by neutron diffraction in structurally related MnWO$_4$ and NaFe(WO$_4$)$_2$. Both systems exhibit a competition of incommensurate spiral and commensurate spin up-up-down-down ordering along the magnetic chains. In the latter commensurate phases, the alternatingly parallel and antiparallel arrangement of Fe$^{3+}$ respectively Mn$^{2+}$ moments leads to sizeable bond-angle modulation and thus to magnetic dimerization. For NaFe(WO$_4$)$_2$ this structural distortion has been determined to be strongest for the low-field up-up-down-down arrangement, and the structural refinement yields a bond-angle modulation of $\pm 1.15(16)$ degrees. In the commensurate phase of MnWO$_4$, superstructure reflections signal a comparable structural dimerization and thus strong magneto-elastic coupling different to that driving the multiferroic order. Pronounced anharmonic second- and third-order reflections in the incommensurate and multiferroic phase of MnWO$_4$ result from tiny commensurate fractions that can depin multiferroic domains.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Imitation of spin density wave order in Cu$_3$Nb$_2$O$_8$

Spin density waves, based on modulated local moments, are usually associated with metallic materials, but have recently been reported in insulators which display coupled magnetic and structural order parameters. We discuss one such example, the multiferroic Cu$_3$Nb$_2$O$_8$, which is reported to undergo two magnetic phase transitions, first to a spin density wave phase at $T_N \approx 26.5K$, and then to a helicoidal structure coupled to an electric polarization below $T_2 \approx 24K$ [R. D. Johnson, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 107, 137205 (2011)] which breaks the crystallographic inversion symmetry. We apply spherical polarimetry to confirm the low-temperature magnetic structure, yet only observe a single magnetic phase transition to helicoidal order. We argue that the reported spin density wave originates from a decoupling of the components of the magnetic order parameter, as allowed by symmetry and driven by thermal fluctuations. This provides a mechanism for the magnetic, but not nuclear, structure to break inversion symmetry thereby creating an intermediate phase where the structure imitates a spin density wave. As the temperature is reduced, this intermediate structure destabilizes the crystal such that a structural chirality is induced, as reflected by the emergence of the electric polarization, and the imitation spin density wave relaxes into a generic helicoid. This provides a situation where the magnetic structure breaks inversion symmetry while the crystal structure remains centrosymmetric.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Magnetic structure of Cd-doped CeIrIn$_5$

We report the magnetic structure of nominally 10% Cd-doped CeIrIn$_5$, CeIr(In$_{0.9}$Cd$_{0.1}$)$_5$, determined by elastic neutron scattering. Magnetic intensity was observed only at the ordering wave vector $Q_{AF} = (1/2,1/2,1/2)$, commensurate with the crystal lattice. A staggered moment of 0.47(3)$μ_B$ at 1.8 K resides on the Ce ion. The magnetic moments are found to be aligned along the crystallographic $c$ axis. This is further confirmed by magnetic susceptibility data, which suggest the $c$ axis to be the easy magnetic axis. The determined magnetic structure is strikingly different from the incommensurate antiferromagnetic ordering of the closely related compound CeRhIn$_5$, in which the magnetic moments are antiferromagnetically aligned within the tetragonal basal plane.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Ground state magnetic structure of Mn$_3$Ge

We have used spherical neutron polarimetry to investigate the magnetic structure of the Mn spins in the hexagonal semimetal Mn$_3$Ge, which exhibits a large intrinsic anomalous Hall effect. Our analysis of the polarimetric data finds a strong preference for a spin structure with $E_{1g}$ symmetry relative to the $D_{6h}$ point group. We show that weak ferromagnetism is an inevitable consequence of the symmetry of the observed magnetic structure, and that sixth order anisotropy is needed to select a unique ground state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Universal critical behavior in the ferromagnetic superconductor Eu(Fe$_{0.75}$Ru$_{0.25}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$

The study of universal critical behavior is a crucial issue in a continuous phase transition, which groups various critical phenomena into universality classes for revealing microscopic electronic behaviors. The understanding of the nature of magnetism in Eu-based ferromagnetic superconductors is largely impeded by the infeasibility of performing inelastic neutron scattering measurements to deduce the microscopic magnetic behaviors and the effects on the superconductivity, due to the significant neutron absorption effect of natural $^{152}$Eu and unavailability of large single crystals. However, by systematically combining the neutron diffraction experiment, the first-principles calculations, and the quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we have obtained a perfectly consistent universal critical exponent value of $β=0.385(13)$ experimentally and theoretically for Eu(Fe$_{0.75}$Ru$_{0.25}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$, from which the magnetism in the Eu-based ferromagnetic superconductors is identified as the universal class of a three-dimensional anisotropic quantum Heisenberg model with long-range magnetic exchange coupling. This study not only clarifies the nature of microscopic magnetic behaviors in the Eu-based ferromagnetic superconductors, but also opens a new avenue of systemic methodology for studying the universal critical behaviors associated with magnetic phase transitions in the area of magnetism and the spin fluctuations effects on the unconventional superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Spiral magnetic ordering of the Eu moments in EuNi$_{2}$As$_{2}$

The ground-state magnetic structure of EuNi$_{2}$As$_{2}$ was investigated by single-crystal neutron diffraction. At base temperature, the Eu$^{2+}$ moments are found to form an incommensurate antiferromagnetic spiral-like structure with a magnetic propagation vector of $\mathit{k}$ = (0, 0, 0.92). They align ferromagnetically in the $\mathit{ab}$ plane with the moment size of 6.75(6) $μ_{B}$, but rotate spirally by 165.6(1)° around the $\mathit{c}$ axis from layer to layer. The magnetic order parameter in the critical region close to the ordering temperature, $\mathit{T_{N}}$ = 15 K, shows critical behavior with a critical exponent of $β_{Eu}$ = 0.34(1), consistent with the three-dimensional Heisenberg model. Moreover, within the experimental uncertainty, our neutron data is consistent with a model in which the Ni sublattice is not magnetically ordered.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Mag2Pol: A program for the analysis of spherical neutron polarimetry, flipping ratio and integrated intensity data

Mag2Pol is a graphical user interface program which is devoted to the analysis of data from polarized neutron diffractometers with spherical polarization analysis. Nuclear and magnetic structure models can be introduced using space group symbols and individual symmetry operators, respectively, and viewed in an OpenGL widget. The program calculates nuclear/magnetic structure factors, flipping ratios and polarization matrices for magnetic Bragg reflections taking into account structural twins and magnetic domains. Spherical neutron polarimetry data can be analyzed by refining a magnetic structure model including magnetic domain populations in a least-squares fit and can also be correlated to an integrated intensity data set in a joint refinement. Further features are the simultaneous refinement of nuclear and magnetic structures with integrated intensity data and the analysis of flipping ratios either with tabulated magnetic form factors or using a multipole expansion of the magnetization density.

cond-mat.str-el↗