arXiv subjects

S. E. Nikitin

Publications and source records attributed to S. E. Nikitin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Effect of Magnetic Vacancies on the Spontaneous Spin-Reorientation Transition in HoFe$_{1-x}$Al$_x$O$_3$ Single Crystals

In this work, we report the first growth of single crystals of the substitution series HoFe$_{1-x}$Al$_x$O$_3$ with aluminium concentrations up to $x=0.2$ and investigate the evolution of their spontaneous spin-reorientation transition (SRT). Among rare-earth orthoferrites, HoFeO$_3$ exhibits a distinctive sequence of magnetic phases ($Γ_4$-$Γ_{24}$-$Γ_{12}$-$Γ_2$). This complex sequence arises from the competition between the $K_{ac}$ and $K_{ab}$ anisotropies associated with the Ho$^{3+}$ ions and the effective magnetic field produced by the weak ferromagnetic moment of the canted Fe$^{3+}$ sublattice. Introducing magnetic vacancies perturbs the antiferromagnetic compensation of the Fe$^{3+}$ subsystem in the $ab$ plane and generates an additional effective magnetic field acting on the Ho$^{3+}$ ions. This field alters the balance between the $K_{ac}$ and $K_{ab}$ anisotropies within the SRT temperature range and thereby broadens the stability range of the $Γ_{12}$ phase in the magnetic phase diagram.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Anisotropy of spin waves in the field-polarized phase of Fe-doped MnSi

Chiral magnetic textures, such as skyrmions, are of great interest to the condensed matter community due to their novel transport properties. The stabilization of topologically non-trivial magnetic phases, like the skyrmion lattice in MnSi, is governed by underlying magnetic interactions which can be probed via measurements of spin-wave excitations. Here, we report high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements of the spin waves in Fe-doped Mn$_{0.9}$Fe$_{0.1}$Si deep within its field-polarized ferromagnetic state. We observe non-reciprocal spin waves with a parabolic dispersion that shifts linearly with magnetic field. Crucially, the spin-wave stiffness is highly anisotropic, with values of 14.7 meV $\rm{\mathring{A}}$$^2$ parallel to the applied field and 7.6 meV $\rm{\mathring{A}}$$^2$ perpendicular to it. This pronounced anisotropy in a cubic material is inconsistent with standard theoretical models for MnSi and indicates a necessity to revise our theoretical understanding.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

First-Order Spin-Reorientation Transition and Incomplete Softening of the Antiferromagnetic Resonance Mode in Multiferroic GdFe$_3$(BO$_3$)$_4$

The multiferroic ferroborate GdFe$_3$(BO$_3$)$_4$ with huntite-type structure exhibits magnetic ordering below T$_N$ = 38 K and contains two magnetic subsystems associated with Gd and Fe ions. Competing anisotropies of these subsystems drive a spin reorientation transition at T$_{SR}$ = 10.7 K, switching the ground state from easy-axis to easy-plane. Using antiferromagnetic resonance, we investigate the spin dynamics across this transition. The observed incomplete softening of a magnon mode during both field- and temperature-induced spin-reorientation transitions indicates the first-order nature of the phase transition, which is accompanied by a discontinuous jump in the effective anisotropy field. We reproduce this behavior using a simple model that attributes the jump in the anisotropy field to the presence of an effective fourth-order anisotropy constant, responsible for the discontinuous character of the transition. Remarkably, for in-plane magnetic fields, we identify a new AFMR mode that persists from 12 K up to T$_N$. This mode likely corresponds to the dynamics of a long period incommensurate state, previously detected by resonant elastic X-ray scattering.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

On the minimal integral energy of majorants of the Wiener process

We consider the asymptotic behavior (over long time intervals) of the minimal integral energy \[ |h|_T^ψ= \int_0^T ψ(h^\prime(t)) \, \mathrm{d}t \] of majorants of the Wiener process $ W(\cdot) $ satisfying the constraints $ h(0) = r $, $ h(t) \geq W(t) $ for $ 0 \leq t \leq T $. The results significantly generalize previous asymptotic estimates obtained for the case of kinetic energy $ ψ(u) = u^2 $, revealing that this case, where the minimal energy grows logarithmically, is a critical one, lying between two different asymptotic regimes.

math.PR↗

arXiv2025

Phonon spectrum in the spin-Peierls phase of CuGeO$_3$

CuGeO$_3$ has long been studied as a prototypical example of the spin-Peierls transition in a $S = 1/2$ Heisenberg chain. Despite intensive investigation of this quasi-one-dimensional material, systematic measurements and calculations of the phonon excitations in the dimerized phase have not to date been possible, leaving certain aspects of the spin-Peierls phenomenon unresolved. We perform state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations to compute the electronic structure and phonon dynamics in the low-temperature dimerized phase. We also perform high-resolution neutron spectroscopy to measure the full phonon spectrum over multiple Brillouin zones. We find excellent agreement between our numerical and experimental results that extend to all measurement temperatures. Notable features of our phonon spectra include a number of steeply dispersive modes, nonmonotonic dispersion features, and specific phonon anticrossings, which we relate to the mode eigenvectors. By calculating the magnetic interactions within DFT and studying the effects of different phonon modes on the superexchange paths, we discuss the possibility of observing spin-phonon hybridization effects in experiments performed both in and out of equilibrium.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

1/5 and 1/3 magnetization plateaux in the spin 1/2 chain system YbAlO3

Quasi-one-dimensional magnets can host an ordered longitudinal spin-density wave state (LSDW) in magnetic field at low temperature, when longitudinal correlations are strengthened by Ising anisotropies. In the S = 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet YbAlO3 this happens via Ising-like interchain interactions. Here, we report the first experimental observation of magnetization plateaux at 1/5 and 1/3 of the saturation value via thermal transport and magnetostriction measurements in YbAlO3. We present a phenomenological theory of the plateau states that describes them as islands of commensurability within an otherwise incommensurate LSDW phase and explains their relative positions within the LSDW phase and their relative extent in a magnetic field. Notably, the plateaux are stabilised by ferromagnetic interchain interactions in YbAlO3 and consistently are absent in other quasi-1D magnets such as BaCo2V2O8 with antiferromagnetic interchain interactions. We also report a small, step-like increase of the magnetostriction coefficient, indicating a weak phase transition of unknown origin in the high-field phase just below the saturation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Competition Between Multiferroic and Magnetic Soliton Lattice States in DyFeO$_3$

Simultaneous breaking of time reversal and inversion symmetries in multiferroics couples ferroelectricity to magnetism and is a source of unusual physical phenomena that can be used in next-generation electronic devices. A notable example is DyFeO$_3$, which under applied magnetic fields exhibits a giant linear magnetoelectric response and a large spontaneous electric polarization induced by coexisting orders of Fe and Dy spins. Here, we use high-resolution neutron diffraction to show that at zero field DyFeO$_3$ hosts an incommensurate magnetic soliton lattice formed by spatially ordered Dy domain walls with an average domain size of 231(8) Å. The long-ranged interaction between the domain walls is mediated by magnons propagating through the Fe subsystem and is analogous to the Yukawa force in particle physics. An applied magnetic field destroys the long-ranged incommensurate order, unlocks the linear magnetoelectric response and stabilizes the ferroelectric state. The magnetic domain walls are electrically charged and the soliton array dimerizes when both electric and magnetic fields are applied. Numerical simulations with experimental parameters suggest, that the generic competition between the ferroelectric and incommensurate states can be effectively controlled by an applied electric field.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Easy-cone state mediating the spin reorientation in topological kagome magnet Fe$_3$Sn$_2$

We investigated temperature-driven spin reorientation (SR) in the itinerant kagome magnet Fe$_3$Sn$_2$ using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, magnetometry, and magnetic force microscopy (MFM), further supported by phenomenological analysis. Our study reveals a crossover from the state with easy-plane anisotropy to the high-temperature state with uniaxial easy-axis anisotropy taking place between $\sim40-130$~ K through an intermediate easy-cone (or tilted spin) state. This state, induced by the interplay between the anisotropy constants $K_1$ and $K_2$, is clearly manifested in the thermal evolution of the magnetic structure factor, which reveals a gradual change of the SR angle $\mathbfθ$ between $40-130$~K. We also found that the SR is accompanied by a magnetoelastic effect. Zero-field MFM images across the SR range show a transformation in surface magnetic patterns from a dendritic structure at 120~K, to domain wall dominated MFM contrast at 40~K.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Observation of the spiral spin liquid in a triangular-lattice material

The spiral spin liquid (SSL) is a highly degenerate state characterized by a continuous contour or surface in reciprocal space spanned by a spiral propagation vector. Although the SSL state has been predicted in a number of various theoretical models, very few materials are so far experimentally identified to host such a state. Via combined single-crystal wide-angle and small-angle neutron scattering, we report observation of the SSL in the quasi-two-dimensional delafossite AgCrSe$_2$. We show that it is a very close realization of the ideal Heisenberg $J_1$--$J_2$--$J_3$ frustrated model on the triangular lattice. By supplementing our experimental results with microscopic spin-dynamics simulations, we demonstrate how such exotic magnetic states are driven by thermal fluctuations and exchange frustration.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Stripe magnetic order and field-induced quantum criticality in the perfect triangular-lattice antiferromagnet CsCeSe$_2$

The two-dimensional triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TLAF) is a textbook example of frustrated magnetic systems. Despite its simplicity, the TLAF model exhibits a highly rich and complex magnetic phase diagram, featuring numerous distinct ground states that can be stabilized through frustrated next-nearest-neighbor couplings or anisotropy. In this paper, we report low-temperature magnetic properties of the TLAF material CsCeSe$_2$. The inelastic neutron scattering (INS) together with specific heat measurements and density functional theory calculations of crystalline electric field suggest that the ground state of Ce ions is a Kramers doublet with strong easy-plane anisotropy. Elastic neutron scattering measurements demonstrate the presence of stripe-$yz$ magnetic order that develops below $T_{\rm N} = 0.35$ K, with the zero-field ordered moment of $m_{\rm Ce} \approx 0.65~μ_{\rm B}$. Application of magnetic field first increases the ordering temperature by about 20% at the intermediate field region and eventually suppresses the stripe order in favor of the field-polarized ferromagnetic state via a continuous quantum phase transition (QPT). The field-induced response demonstrates sizable anisotropy for different in-plane directions, $\mathbf{B}\parallel{}\mathbf{a}$ and $\mathbf{B}\perp{}\mathbf{a}$, which indicates the presence of bond-dependent coupling in the spin Hamiltonian. We further show theoretically that the presence of anisotropic bond-dependent interactions can change the universality class of QPT for $\mathbf{B}\parallel{}\mathbf{a}$ and $\mathbf{B}\perp{}\mathbf{a}$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Quantum Spin Dynamics Due to Strong Kitaev Interactions in the Triangular-Lattice Antiferromagnet CsCeSe$_2$

The extraordinary properties of the Kitaev model have motivated an intense search for new physics in materials that combine geometrical and bond frustration. In this work, we employ inelastic neutron scattering, spin wave theory, and exact diagonalization to study the spin dynamics in the perfect triangular-lattice antiferromagnet (TLAF) CsCeSe$_2$. This material orders into a stripe phase, which is demonstrated to arise as a consequence of the off-diagonal bond-dependent terms in the spin Hamiltonian. By studying the spin dynamics at intermediate fields, we identify an interaction between the single-magnon state and the two-magnon continuum that causes decay of coherent magnon excitations, level repulsion, and transfer of spectral weight to the continuum that are controlled by the strength of the magnetic field. Our results provide a microscopic mechanism for the stabilization of the stripe phase in TLAF and show how complex many-body physics can be present in the spin dynamics in a magnet with strong Kitaev coupling even in an ordered ground state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Helical Spin Dynamics in Commensurate Magnets: a Study on Brochantite, Cu$_4$SO$_4$(OH)$_6$

We report the direct observation of a commensurate-ordered antiferromagnetic (AFM) state but incommensurate helical spin dynamics in the natural mineral brochantite Cu$_4$SO$_4$(OH)$_6$ through neutron diffraction and neutron spectroscopy measurements. Inelastic neutron scattering measurements reveal magnon-like excitations with considerable dispersion along the c-axis and almost flat branches in other principal directions, indicating the strong one-dimensional character of the magnetic correlations. We experimentally observe the effect of the uniform Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction, which elevates the degeneracy of the spin-wave modes shifting them in opposite directions in reciprocal space. The system has a commensurate AFM ground state, stabilized by the anisotropic symmetric Heisenberg exchange interactions, and quasi-one-dimensional chiral spin dynamics due to the antisymmetric DM interaction. Employing linear spin-wave theory, we were able to construct an effective Heisenberg Hamiltonian. We quantify both the symmetric exchange parameters and the DM vector components in Cu$_4$SO$_4$(OH)$_6$ and determine the mechanism of the magnetic frustration. Our work provides detailed insights into the complex dynamics of the spin chain in the presence of uniform DM interaction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Magnetic structure and Ising-like antiferromagnetism in the bilayer triangular lattice compound NdZnPO

The complex interplay of spin frustration and quantum fluctuations in low-dimensional quantum materials leads to a variety of intriguing phenomena. This research focuses on a detailed analysis of the magnetic behavior exhibited by NdZnPO, a bilayer spin-1/2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet. The investigation employs magnetization, specific heat, and powder neutron scattering measurements. At zero field, a long-range magnetic order is observed at $T_{\rm N}=1.64~\rm K$. Powder neutron diffraction experiments show the Ising-like magnetic moments along the $c$-axis, revealing a stripe-like magnetic structure with three equivalent magnetic propagation vectors. Application of a magnetic field along the $c$-axis suppresses the antiferromagnetic order, leading to a fully polarized ferromagnetic state above $B_{\rm c}=4.5~\rm T$. This transition is accompanied by notable enhancements in the nuclear Schottky contribution. Moreover, the absence of spin frustration and expected field-induced plateau-like phases are remarkable observations. Detailed calculations of magnetic dipolar interactions revealed complex couplings reminiscent of a honeycomb lattice, suggesting the potential emergence of Kitaev-like physics within this system. This comprehensive study of the magnetic properties of NdZnPO highlights unresolved intricacies, underscoring the imperative for further exploration to unveil the underlying governing mechanisms.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Phonon topology and winding of spectral weight in graphite

The topology of electronic and phonon band structures of graphene is well studied and known to exhibit a Dirac cone at the K point of the Brillouin zone. Here, we applied inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) along with $\textit{ab initio}$ calculations to investigate phonon topology in graphite, the 3D analogue of graphene. We identified a pair of modes that form a very weakly gapped linear anticrossing at the K point that can be essentially viewed as a Dirac cone approximant. The IXS intensity in the vicinity of the quasi-Dirac point reveals a harmonic modulation of the phonon spectral weight above and below the Dirac energy, which was previously proposed as an experimental fingerprint of the nontrivial topology. We illustrate how the topological winding of IXS intensity can be understood in terms of atomic displacements, and highlight that the intensity winding is not in fact sensitive in telling quasi- and true Dirac points apart.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Energy saving approximation of Wiener process under unilateral constraints

We consider the energy saving approximation of a Wiener process under unilateral constraints. We show that, almost surely, on large time intervals the minimal energy necessary for the approximation logarithmically depends on the interval's length. We also construct an adaptive approximation strategy that is optimal in a class of diffusion strategies and also provides the logarithmic order of energy consumption.

math.PR↗

arXiv2023

Confinement of many-body Bethe strings

Based on Bethe-ansatz approach and inelastic neutron scattering experiments, we reveal evolution of confinement of many-body Bethe strings in ordered regions of quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet $\rm YbAlO_3$. In the antiferromagnetic phase, the spin dynamics is dominated by the confined length-1 Bethe strings, whose dominancy in the high-energy branch of the excitation spectrum yields to the confined length-2 Bethe strings when the material is tuned to the spin-density-wave phase. In the thermal-induced disordered region, the confinement effect disappears, and the system restores the conventional quantum integrable physics of the one-dimensional Heisenberg model. Our results establish a unified picture based on Bethe string for the spin dynamics in different magnetic phases of $\rm YbAlO_3$, and thus provide profound insight into the many-body quantum magnetism.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Slow spin dynamics and quantum tunneling of magnetization in the dipolar antiferromagnet DyScO$_3$

We present a comprehensive study of static and dynamic magnetic properties in the Ising-like dipolar antiferromagnet (AFM) DyScO$_3$\ by means of DC and AC magnetization measurements supported by classical Monte-Carlo calculations. Our AC-susceptibility data show that the magnetic dynamics exhibit a clear crossover from an Arrhenius-like regime to quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM) at $T^* = 10$ K. Below $T_{\mathrm{N}} = 3.2$ K DyScO$_3$ orders in an antiferromagnetic $GxAy$-type magnetic structure and the magnetization dynamics slow down to the minute timescale. The low-temperature magnetization curves exhibit complex hysteretic behavior, which depends strongly on the magnetic field sweep rate. We demonstrate that the low-field anomalies on the magnetization curve are related to the metamagnetic transition, while the hysteresis at higher fields is induced by a strong magnetocaloric effect. Our theoretical calculations, which take into account dipolar interaction between Dy$^{3+}$ moments, reproduce essential features of the magnetic behavior of DyScO$_3$. We demonstrate that DyScO$_3$ represents a rare example of inorganic compound, which exhibits QTM at a single-ion level and magnetic order due to classical dipolar interaction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Thermal Evolution of Dirac Magnons in the Honeycomb Ferromagnet CrBr$_3$

CrBr$_3$ is an excellent realization of the two-dimensional honeycomb ferromagnet, which offers a bosonic equivalent of graphene with Dirac magnons and topological character. We perform inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements using state-of-the-art instrumentation to update 50-year-old data, thereby enabling a definitive comparison both with recent experimental claims of a significant gap at the Dirac point and with theoretical predictions for thermal magnon renormalization. We demonstrate that CrBr$_3$ has next-neighbor $J_2$ and $J_3$ interactions approximately 5\% of $J_1$, an ideal Dirac magnon dispersion at the K point, and the associated signature of isospin winding. The magnon lifetime and the thermal band renormalization show the universal $T^2$ evolution expected from an interacting spin-wave treatment, but the measured dispersion lacks the predicted van Hove features, highlighting the need for a deeper theoretical analysis.

cond-mat.str-el↗