arXiv subjects

Ph. Bourges

Publications and source records attributed to Ph. Bourges.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Magnon-polaron excitations in the noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn$_3$Ge

We present the detailed inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn$_3$Ge. Time-of-flight and triple-axis spectroscopy experiments were conducted at the temperature of 6~K, well below the high magnetic ordering temperature of 370~K. The magnetic excitations have a 5-meV gap and display an anisotropic dispersive mode reaching $\simeq 90$~meV at the boundaries of the magnetic Brillouin zone. The spectrum at the zone center shows two additional excitations that demonstrate characteristics of both magnons and phonons. The \textit{ab initio} lattice-dynamics calculations show that these can be associated with the magnon-polaron modes resulting from the hybridization of the spin fluctuations and the low-energy optical phonons. The observed magnetoelastic coupling agrees with the previously found negative thermal expansion in this compound and resembles the features reported in the spectroscopic studies of other antiferromagnets with the similar noncollinear spin structures.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Elastic softness of hybrid lead halide perovskites

Much recent attention has been devoted towards unravelling the microscopic optoelectronic properties of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOP). Here we investigate by coherent inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy and Brillouin light scattering, low frequency acoustic phonons in four different hybrid perovskite single crystals: MAPbBr$_3$, FAPbBr$_3$, MAPbI$_3$ and $α$-FAPbI$_3$ (MA: methylammonium, FA: formamidinium). We report a complete set of elastic constants caracterized by a very soft shear modulus C$_{44}$. Further, a tendency towards an incipient ferroelastic transition is observed in FAPbBr$_3$. We observe a systematic lower sound group velocity in the technologically important iodide-based compounds compared to the bromide-based ones. The findings suggest that low thermal conductivity and hot phonon bottleneck phenomena are expected to be enhanced by low elastic stiffness, particularly in the case of the ultrasoft $α$-FAPbI$_3$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Suppression of the antiferromagnetic order when approaching the superconducting state in a phase-separated crystal of K$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_2$

We have combined elastic and inelastic neutron scattering techniques, magnetic susceptibility and resistivity measurements to study single-crystal samples of K$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_2$, which contain the superconducting phase that has a transition temperature of $\sim$31 K. In the inelastic neutron scattering measurements, we observe both the spin-wave excitations resulting from the block antiferromagnetic ordered phase and the resonance that is associated with the superconductivity in the superconducting phase, demonstrating the coexistence of these two orders. From the temperature dependence of the intensity of the magnetic Bragg peaks, we find that well before entering the superconducting state, the development of the magnetic order is interrupted, at $\sim$42 K. We consider this result to be evidence for the physical separation of the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases; the suppression is possibly due to the proximity effect of the superconducting fluctuations on the antiferromagnetic order.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Possible realization of an antiferromagnetic Griffiths phase in Ba[Fe(1-x)Mn(x)](2)As(2)

We investigate magnetic ordering in metallic Ba[Fe(1-x)Mn(x)](2)As(2) and discuss the unusual magnetic phase, which was recently discovered for Mn concentrations x > 10%. We argue that it can be understood as a Griffiths-type phase that forms above the quantum critical point associated with the suppression of the stripe-antiferromagnetic spin-density-wave (SDW) order in BaFe2As2 by the randomly introduced localized Mn moments acting as strong magnetic impurities. While the SDW transition at x = 0, 2.5% and 5% remains equally sharp, in the x = 12% sample we observe an abrupt smearing of the antiferromagnetic transition in temperature and a considerable suppression of the spin gap in the magnetic excitation spectrum. According to our muon-spin-relaxation, nuclear magnetic resonance and neutron-scattering data, antiferromagnetically ordered rare regions start forming in the x = 12% sample significantly above the Néel temperature of the parent compound. Upon cooling, their volume grows continuously, leading to an increase in the magnetic Bragg intensity and to the gradual opening of a partial spin gap in the magnetic excitation spectrum. Using neutron Larmor diffraction, we also demonstrate that the magnetically ordered volume is characterized by a finite orthorhombic distortion, which could not be resolved in previous diffraction studies most probably due to its coexistence with the tetragonal phase and a microstrain-induced broadening of the Bragg reflections. We argue that Ba[Fe(1-x)Mn(x)](2)As(2) could represent an interesting model spin-glass system, in which localized magnetic moments are randomly embedded into a SDW metal with Fermi surface nesting.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Symmetry of spin excitation spectra in the tetragonal paramagnetic and superconducting phases of 122-ferropnictides

We study the symmetry of spin excitation spectra in 122-ferropnictide superconductors by comparing the results of first-principles calculations with inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements on BaFe1.85Co0.15As2 and BaFe1.91Ni0.09As2 samples that exhibit neither static magnetic phases nor structural phase transitions. In both the normal and superconducting (SC) states, the spectrum lacks the 42/m screw symmetry around the (1/2 1/2 L) axis that is implied by the I4/mmm space group. This is manifest both in the in-plane anisotropy of the normal- and SC-state spin dynamics and in the out-of-plane dispersion of the spin-resonance mode. We show that this effect originates from the higher symmetry of the magnetic Fe sublattice with respect to the crystal itself, hence the INS signal inherits the symmetry of the unfolded Brillouin zone (BZ) of the Fe sublattice. The in-plane anisotropy is temperature-independent and can be qualitatively reproduced in normal-state density-functional-theory calculations without invoking a symmetry-broken ("nematic") ground state that was previously proposed as an explanation for this effect. Below the SC transition, the energy of the magnetic resonant mode Er, as well as its intensity and the SC spin gap inherit the normal-state intensity modulation along the out-of-plane direction L with a period twice larger than expected from the body-centered-tetragonal BZ symmetry. The amplitude of this modulation decreases at higher doping, providing an analogy to the splitting between even and odd resonant modes in bilayer cuprates. Combining our and previous data, we show that at odd L a universal linear relationship Er=4.3*kB*Tc holds for all studied Fe-based superconductors, independent of their carrier type. Its validity down to the lowest doping levels is consistent with weaker electron correlations in ferropnictides as compared to the underdoped cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Quantum Statistics of Interacting Dimer Spin Systems

The compound TlCuCl3 represents a model system of dimerized quantum spins with strong interdimer interactions. We investigate the triplet dispersion as a function of temperature by inelastic neutron scattering experiments on single crystals. By comparison with a number of theoretical approaches we demonstrate that the description of Troyer, Tsunetsugu, and Wuertz [Phys. Rev. B 50, 13515 (1994)] provides an appropriate quantum statistical model for dimer spin systems at finite temperatures, where many-body correlations become particularly important.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Magnetic order in the pseudogap phase of high-$T_C$ superconductors

One of the leading issues in high-$T_C$ superconductors is the origin of the pseudogap phase in underdoped cuprates. Using polarized elastic neutron diffraction, we identify a novel magnetic order in the YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ system. The observed magnetic order preserves translational symmetry as proposed for orbital moments in the circulating current theory of the pseudogap state. To date, it is the first direct evidence of an hidden order parameter characterizing the pseudogap phase in high-$T_C$ cuprates.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

The resonant magnetic mode: a common feature of high-$T_C$ superconductors

Inelastic neutron scattering experiments in high-$T_c$ cuprates have evidenced a new magnetic excitation present in the superconducting state. In particular, recent experiments on single layer Tl$_{2}$Ba$_{2}$CuO$_{6+δ}$, performed near optimum doping ($ T_{c} \sim 90$ K), provide evidence of a sharp magnetic resonant mode below $ T_{c}$, similar to previous reports on the YBCO and BSCCO bilayer systems. This result supports models that ascribe a key role to magnetic excitations in the mechanism of superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2000

A critical examination of the spin dynamics in high-$T_C$ cuprates

A critical examination of the spin dynamics in high-$T_C$ cuprates is made on the light of inelastic neutron scattering results obtained by different groups. Recent neutron data show that incommensurate magnetic peaks in YBCO belong to the same excitation as the resonance peak observed at $(π/a,π/a)$. Being only observed in the superconducting state, the incommensurability is then rather difficult to reconcile with a stripe picture. We also discuss the link between the resonance peak spectral weight and the superconducting condensation energy.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1999

Spin dynamics in high-$T_C$ superconductors

Key features of antiferromagnetic dynamical correlations in high-$T_C$ superconductors cuprates are discussed. In underdoped regime, the sharp resonance peak, occuring exclusively in the SC state, is accompanied by a broader contribution located around $\sim$ 30 meV which remains above $T_C$. Their interplay may induce incommensurate structure in the superconducting state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1997

High energy spin excitations in YBa_2 Cu_3 O_{6.5}

Inelastic neutron scattering has been used to obtain a comprehensive description of the absolute dynamical spin susceptibility $χ'' (q,ω)$ of the underdoped superconducting cuprate YBa_2 Cu_3 O_{6.5} ($T_c = 52 K$) over a wide range of energies and temperatures ($2 meV \leq \hbar ω\leq 120 meV$ and $5K \leq T \leq 200K$). Spin excitations of two different symmetries (even and odd under exchange of two adjacent CuO_2 layers) are observed which, surprisingly, are characterized by different temperature dependences. The excitations show dispersive behavior at high energies.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1997

Shifting of the magnetic resonance peak to lower energy in the superconducting state of underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{6.8}

Inelastic neutron scattering has been used to determine the dynamic spin fluctuations in an underdoped high temperature superconductor YBCO_{6.8} single crystal. The magnetic resonance, that occurs around 40 meV in overdoped samples, is shifted to a lower energy, E_r= 34 meV. A constant ratio, $E_r/ k_B T_C= 4.9 \pm 0.2$, almost independent of the doping level, is found. According to numerous theoretical approaches, this finding supports the idea that the resonance energy is proportional (approximately twice) to the superconducting gap.

cond-mat.supr-con↗