arXiv subjects

S-W. Cheong

Publications and source records attributed to S-W. Cheong.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

Charge and Spin Order in La2-xSrxNiO4 (x=0.275 and 1/3)

We report polarized and unpolarized neutron diffraction measurements on La2-xSrxNiO4 (x=0.275 and 1/3). The data for the spin ordered states are consistent with a collinear spin model in which spins with S=1 are in the NiO2 plane and are uniformly rotated from the charge and spin stripe direction. The deviation angle is larger for x=1/3 than for x=0.275. Furthermore, for x=1/3, the ordered spins reorient below 50 K, which suggests a further lock-in of the doped holes and their magnetic interactions with the S=1 spins.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2000

Local spin resonance and spin-Peierls-like phase transition in a geometrically frustrated antiferromagnet

Using inelastic magnetic neutron scattering we have discovered a localized spin resonance at 4.5 meV in the ordered phase of the geometrically frustrated cubic antiferromagnet $\rm ZnCr_2O_4$. The resonance develops abruptly from quantum critical fluctuations upon cooling through a first order transition to a co-planar antiferromagnet at $T_c=12.5(5)$ K. We argue that this transition is a three dimensional analogue of the spin-Peierls transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Giant Peak of the 1/f Noise at the Metal-Insulator Transitions in Low-Tc CMR Manganites: Evidence of the Percolation Threshold at Tc

We observed a dramatic peak in the 1/f noise at the metal-insulator transition (MIT) in low-Tc manganites. This many-orders-of-magnitude noise enhancement is observed for both polycrystalline and single-crystal samples of La{5/8-y}Pr{y}Ca{3/8}MnO{3} (y=0.35-0.4) in zero magnetic field and Pr{1-x}Ca{x}MnO{3} (x=0.35-0.5) in magnetic field. This observation strongly suggests that the microscopic phase separation in the low-Tc manganites causes formation of a percolation network, and that the observed MIT is a percolation threshold.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Giant 1/f noise in perovskite manganites: evidence of the percolation threshold

We discovered an unprecedented magnitude of the 1/f noise near the Curie temperature Tc in low-Tc manganites. The scaling behavior of the 1/f noise and the resistance provides strong evidence of the percolation nature of the ferromagnetic transition in the polycrystalline samples. The step-like changes of the resistance with temperature, observed for single crystals, suggest that the size of the ferromagnetic domains depends on the size of crystallites.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Observation of two time scales in the ferromagnetic manganite La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(3), x = 0.3

We report new zero-field muon spin relaxation and neutron spin echo measurements in ferromagnetic (FM) (La,Ca)MnO3 which taken together suggest two spatially separated regions in close proximity possessing very different Mn-ion spin dynamics. One region corresponds to an extended cluster which displays 'critical slowing down' near Tc and an increasing volume fraction below Tc. The second region possesses more slowly fluctuating spins and a decreasing volume fraction below Tc. These data are discussed in terms of the growth of small polarons into overlapping regions of correlated spins below Tc, resulting in a microscopically inhomogeneous FM transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Magnon Damping by magnon-phonon coupling in Manganese Perovskites

Inelastic neutron scattering was used to systematically investigate the spin-wave excitations (magnons) in ferromagnetic manganese perovskites. In spite of the large differences in the Curie temperatures ($T_C$s) of different manganites, their low-temperature spin waves were found to have very similar dispersions with the zone boundary magnon softening. From the wavevector dependence of the magnon lifetime effects and its correlation with the dispersions of the optical phonon modes, we argue that a strong magneto-elastic coupling is responsible for the observed low temperature anomalous spin dynamical behavior of the manganites.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Electrodynamics of Nd0.7Sr0.3MnO3 Single Crystal investigated by Optical Conductivity Analyses

We investigated temperature dependent optical conductivity spectra of Nd0.7Sr0.3MnO3 single crystal. We found that polishing and surface scattering effects on the Nd0.7Sr0.3MnO3 crystal surfaces could significantly distort the optical responses, especially in the mid-infrared region. However, oxygen annealing and gold normalization processes seemed to remedy the distortions. We found that the spectral weight of Nd0.7Sr0.3MnO3 in the metallic state might be composed of a Drude carrier term and a strong incoherent mid-infrared absorptions. The temperature dependence of the spectral weight suggests that the electron-lattice coupling should be important in optical properties of colossal magnetoresistance manganites.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1999

Magnetism of Stripe-Ordered La_(5/3)Sr_(1/3)NiO_4

^139La nuclear magnetic resonance studies reveal markedly different magnetic properties of the two sites created by the charged domain wall formation in La_(5/3)Sr_(1/3)NiO_4. NMR is slow compared to neutron scattering; we observe a 30 K suppression in magnetic ordering temperature indicating glassy behavior. Applied magnetic field reorients the in-plane ordered moments with respect to the lattice, but the relative orientation of the spins amongst themselves is stiff and broadly distributed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1998

"Wigner crystal" and "stripe" models for the magnetic and crystallographic superstructures of La0.333Ca0 .667MnO3

The crystallographic (charge-ordered) and magnetic superstructures of La0.333Ca0.667MnO3 were studied by high-resolution synchrotron x-ray and neutron powder diffraction. In the antiferromagnetic structure, which was refined using a non-collinear model, the a lattice parameter is tripled and the c lattice parameter is doubled with respect to the average crystallographic unit cell (Pnma setting). The crystallographic structure below the charge-ordering temperature (TCO ~ 260 K) is characterized by ordering of the dz2 orbitals of the Jahn-Teller-distorted Mn3+O6 octahedra in the orthorhombic ac plane, and the appearance of superlattice peaks in the x-ray patterns corresponding to a tripling of the a axis lattice parameter. The intensities of the superlattice peaks can be accounted for satisfactorily in terms of ordering of the Mn3+ cations in sites as far apart as possible in the ac plane ("Wigner crystal" model) and transverse displacements of the Mn4+O6 octahedra in the c direction. These results are not consistent with a recently proposed model based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data in which the Mn3+O6 octahedra are arranged in a stripe pattern ("stripe" model). In particular, the large longitudinal stripe modulation revealed by TEM is not observed, suggesting that the TEM data may not be representative of the bulk sample. Within the framework of the "Wigner crystal" model, the magnetic structure at 1.5 K and the charge-ordered superstructure at 160 K and 1.5 K were refined from the neutron data.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1998

Infrared absorption from Charge Density Waves in magnetic manganites

The infrared absorption of charge density waves coupled to a magnetic background is first observed in two manganites La{1-x}Ca{x}MnO{3} with x = 0.5 and x = 0.67. In both cases a BCS-like gap 2 Delta (T), which for x=0.5 follows the hysteretic ferro-antiferromagnetic transition, fully opens at a finite T{0} < T{Neel}, with 2 Delta(T{0})/kT{c} close to 5. These results may also explain the unusual coexistence of charge ordering and ferromagnetism in La{0.5}Ca{0.5}MnO{3}.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1998

Infrared Studies of a La_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO_3 Single Crystal: Optical Magnetoconductivity in a Half-Metallic Ferromagnet

The infrared reflectivity of a $\rm La_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO_3$ single crystal is studied over a broad range of temperatures (78-340 K), magnetic fields (0-16 T), and wavenumbers (20-9000 cm$^{-1}$). The optical conductivity gradually changes from a Drude-like behavior to a broad peak feature near 5000 cm$^{-1}$ in the ferromagnetic state below the Curie temperature $T_C=307 K$. Various features of the optical conductivity bear striking resemblance to recent theoretical predictions based on the interplay between the double exchange interaction and the Jahn-Teller electron-phonon coupling. A large optical magnetoconductivity is observed near $T_C$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Charge and Spin Dynamics of an Ordered Stripe Phase in La_(1 2/3)Sr_(1/3)NiO_4 by Raman Spectroscopy

For La_(1 2/3)Sr_(1/3)NiO_4 -- a commensurately doped Mott-Hubbard system -- charge- and spin-ordering in a stripe phase has been investigated by phononic and magnetic Raman scattering. Formation of a superlattice and an opening of a pseudo-gap in the electron-hole excitation spectra as well as two types of double-spin excitations -- within the antiferromagnetic domain and across the domain wall -- are observed below the charge-ordering transition. The temperature dependence suggests that the spin ordering is driven by charge ordering and that fluctuating stripes persist above the ordering transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Softening and Broadening of the Zone Boundary Magnons in Pr0.63Sr0.37MnO3

We have studied the spin dynamics in Pr$_{0.63}$Sr$_{0.37}$MnO$_3$ above and below the Curie temperature $T_C=301$ K. Three distinct new features have been observed: a softening of the magnon dispersion at the zone boundary for $T<T_C$, significant broadening of the zone boundary magnons as $T\to T_C$, and no evidence for residual spin-wave like excitations just above $T_C$. The results are inconsistent with double exchange models that have been successfully applied to higher $T_C$ samples, indicating an evolution of the spin system with decreasing $T_C$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Evolution of the low-frequency spin dynamics in ferromagnetic manganites

Elastic and inelastic neutron scattering was used to study two ferromagnetic manganites A$_{1-x}$B$_{x}$MnO$_3$ (x $\approx$ 0.3) with $T_c$=197.9 K and 300.9 K. The spin dynamical behavior of these is similar at low temperatures, but drastically different at temperatures around $T_c$. While the formation of spin clusters of size ($\sim20$ Å) dominates the spin dynamics of the 197.9 K sample close to $T_c$, the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition for the 300.9 K sample is more conventional. These results, combined with seemingly inconsistent earlier reports, reveal clear systematics in the spin dynamics of the manganites.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Melting of Quasi-Two-Dimensional Charge Stripes in La5/3Sr1/3NiO4

Commensurability effects for nickelates have been studied by the first neutron experiments on La5/3Sr1/3NiO4. Upon cooling, this system undergoes three successive phase transitions associated with quasi-two-dimensional (2D) commensurate charge and spin stripe ordering in the NiO$_2$ planes. The two lower temperature phases (denoted as phase II and III) are stripe lattice states with quasi-long-range in-plane charge correlation. When the lattice of 2D charge stripes melts, it goes through an intermediate glass state (phase I) before becoming a disordered liquid state. This glass state shows short-range charge order without spin order, and may be called a "stripe glass" which resembles the hexatic/nematic state in 2D melting.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Small and large polarons in nickelates, manganites, and cuprates

By comparing the optical conductivities of La_{1.67}Sr_{0.33}NiO_{4} (LSNO), Sr_{1.5}La_{0.5}MnO_4 (SLMO), Nd_2CuO_{4-y} (NCO), and Nd_{1.96}Ce_{0.04}CuO_{4} (NCCO), we have identified a peculiar behavior of polarons in this cuprate family. While in LSNO and SLMO small polarons localize into ordered structures below a transition temperature, in those cuprates the polarons appear to be large, and at low T their binding energy decreases. This reflects into an increase of the polaron radius, which may trigger coherent transport.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1996

A Comparison of the High-Frequency Magnetic Fluctuations in Insulating and Superconducting La2-xSrxCuO4

Inelastic neutron scattering performed at a spallation source is used to make absolute measurements of the dynamic susceptibility of insulating La2CuO4 and superconducting La2-xSrxCuO4 over the energy range 15<EN<350 meV. The effect of Sr doping on the magnetic excitations is to cause a large broadening in wavevector and a substantial change in the spectrum of the local spin fluctuations. Comparison of the two compositions reveals a new energy scale of 22 meV in La1.86Sr0.14CuO4.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1996

Impact of Charge Ordering on Magnetic Correlations in Perovskite (Bi,Ca)MnO_3

Single crystalline (Bi,Ca)MnO3 (74< %Ca <82) were studied with neutron scattering, electron diffraction and bulk magnetic measurement. We discovered dynamic ferromagnetic spin correlations at high temperatures, which are replaced by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations at a concomitant charge ordering and structural transition. Our results indicate that thermal-activated hopping of the Jahn-Teller active e_g electrons in these insulating materials, nevertheless, induce ferromagnetic interaction through double-exchange mechanism. It is the ordering of these charges competing with the double-exchange ferromagnetic metallic state.

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