arXiv subjects

T. G. Perring

Publications and source records attributed to T. G. Perring.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Fractional excitations in the square-lattice quantum antiferromagnet

The square-lattice quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet displays a pronounced anomaly of unknown origin in its magnetic excitation spectrum. The anomaly manifests itself only for short wavelength excitations propagating along the direction connecting nearest neighbors. Using polarized neutron spectroscopy, we have fully characterized the magnetic fluctuations in the model metal-organic compound CFTD, revealing an isotropic continuum at the anomaly indicative of fractional excitations. A theoretical framework based on the Gutzwiller projection method is developed to explain the origin of the continuum at the anomaly. This indicates that the anomaly arises from deconfined fractional spin-1/2 quasiparticle pairs, the 2D analog of 1D spinons. Away from the anomaly the conventional spin-wave spectrum is recovered as pairs of fractional quasiparticles bind to form spin-1 magnons. Our results therefore establish the existence of fractional quasiparticles in the simplest model two dimensional antiferromagnet even in the absence of frustration.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Mantid - Data Analysis and Visualization Package for Neutron Scattering and $μSR$ Experiments

The Mantid framework is a software solution developed for the analysis and visualization of neutron scattering and muon spin measurements. The framework is jointly developed by software engineers and scientists at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Facility and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The objectives, functionality and novel design aspects of Mantid are described.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2014

Quadrupolar Singlet Ground State of Praseodymium in a Modulated Pyrochlore

The complex structure and magnetism of Pr$_{2-x}$Bi$_x$Ru$_2$O$_7$ was investigated by neutron scattering and EXAFS. Pr has an approximate doublet ground-state and the first excited state is a singlet. This overall crystal field level scheme is similar to metallic Pr$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$, which is also reported here. While the B-site (Ru) is well ordered throughout, this is not the case for the A-site (Pr/Bi). A distribution of the Pr-O2 bond length indicates the Pr environment is not uniform even for $x=0$. The Bi environment is highly disordered ostensibly due to the 6s lone pairs on Bi$^{3+}$. Correspondingly we find the non-Kramers doublet ground state degeneracy otherwise anticipated for Pr in the pyrochlore structure is lifted so as to produce a quadrupolar singlet ground state with a spatially varying energy gap. For $x=0$, below T$_N$, the Ru sublattice orders antiferromagnetically, with propagation vector \textbf{k}= (0,0,0), as for Y$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$. No ordering associated with the Pr sublattice is observed down to 100 mK. The low energy magnetic response of Pr$_{2-x}$Bi$_x$Ru$_2$O$_7$ features a broad spectrum of magnetic excitations associated with inhomogeneous splitting of the Pr quasi-doublet ground state. For $x=0$ ($x=0.97$) the spectrum is temperature dependent (independent). It appears disorder associated with Bi alloying enhances the inhomogeneous Pr crystal field level splitting so that inter-site interactions become irrelevant for $x=0.97$. The structural complexity for the A-site may be reflected in the hysteretic uniform magnetization of B-site ruthenium in the Néel phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Magnetic excitation spectrum of LuFe2O4 measured with inelastic neutron scattering

We report neutron inelastic scattering measurements and analysis of the spectrum of magnons propagating within the Fe2O4 bilayers of LuFe2O4. The observed spectrum is consistent with six magnetic modes and a single prominent gap, which is compatible with a single bilayer magnetic unit cell containing six spins. We model the magnon dispersion by linear spin-wave theory and find very good agreement with the domain-averaged spectrum of a spin-charge bilayer superstructure comprising one Fe3+ -rich monolayer and one Fe2+ -rich monolayer. These findings indicate the existence of polar bilayers in LuFe2O4, contrary to recent studies that advocate a charge-segregated non-polar bilayer model. Weak scattering observed below the magnon gap suggests that a fraction of the bilayers contain other combinations of charged monolayers not included in the model. Refined values for the dominant exchange interactions are reported.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Spin wave spectrum of the quantum ferromagnet on the pyrochlore lattice Lu2V2O7

Neutron inelastic scattering has been used to probe the spin dynamics of the quantum (S=1/2) ferromagnet on the pyrochlore lattice Lu2V2O7. Well-defined spin waves are observed at all energies and wavevectors, allowing us to determine the parameters of the Hamiltonian of the system. The data are found to be in excellent overall agreement with a minimal model that includes a nearest- neighbour Heisenberg exchange J = 8:22(2) meV and a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) D =1:5(1) meV. The large DMI term revealed by our study is broadly consistent with the model developed by Onose et al. to explain the magnon Hall effect they observed in Lu2V2O7 [1], although our ratio of D=J = 0:18(1) is roughly half of their value and three times larger than calculated by ab initio methods [2].

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Magnon breakdown in a two dimensional triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet of multiferroic LuMnO$_3$

The breakdown of magnons, the quasiparticles of magnetic systems, has rarely been seen. By using an inelastic neutron scattering technique we report the observation of spontaneous magnon decay in multiferroic LuMnO$_3$, a simple two-dimensional Heisenberg triangular lattice antiferromagnet, with large spin, S = 2. The origin of this rare phenomenon lies in the non-vanishing cubic interaction between magnons in the spin Hamiltonian arising from the noncollinear 120$^o$ spin structure. We observed all three key features of the nonlinear effects as theoretically predicted: a roton-like minimum, a flat mode, and a linewidth broadening, in our inelastic neutron scattering measurements of single crystal LuMnO$_3$. Our results show that quasiparticles in a system hitherto thought of as "classical" can indeed break down.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Absence of strong magnetic fluctuations in the iron phosphide superconductors LaFePO and Sr2ScO3FeP

We report neutron inelastic scattering measurements on polycrystalline LaFePO and Sr2ScO3FeP, two members of the iron phosphide families of superconductors. No evidence is found for any magnetic fluctuations in the spectrum of either material in the energy and wavevector ranges probed. Special attention is paid to the wavevector at which spin-density-wave-like fluctuations are seen in other iron-based superconductors. We estimate that the magnetic signal, if present, is at least a factor of four (Sr2ScO3FeP) or seven (LaFePO) smaller than in the related iron arsenide and chalcogenide superconductors. These results suggest that magnetic fluctuations are not as influential on the electronic properties of the iron phosphide systems as they are in other iron-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Spin fluctuations away from (pi,0) in the superconducting phase of molecular-intercalated FeSe

Magnetic fluctuations in the molecular-intercalated FeSe superconductor Li{x}(ND2){y}(ND3){1-y}Fe2Se2 (Tc = 43K) have been measured by inelastic neutron scattering from a powder sample. The strongest magnetic scattering is observed at a wave vector Q ~ 1.4 A^{-1}, which is not consistent with the (pi,0) nesting wave vector that characterizes magnetic fluctuations in several other iron-based superconductors, but is close to the (pi, pi/2) position found for A{x}Fe{2-y}Se2 systems. At the energies probed (~ 5kB Tc), the magnetic scattering increases in intensity with decreasing temperature below Tc, consistent with the superconductivity-induced magnetic resonance found in other iron-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

A magnetic origin for high temperature superconductivity in iron pnictides

In conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superconductors, superconductivity occurs when electrons form coherent Cooper pairs below the superconducting transition temperature Tc. Although the kinetic energy of paired electrons increases in the superconducting state relative to the normal state, the reduction in the ion lattice energy is sufficient to give the superconducting condensation energy. For iron pnictide superconductors derived from electron or hole doping of their antiferromagnetic (AF) parent compounds, the microscopic origin for supercnductivity is unclear. Here we use neutron scattering to show that high-Tc superconductivity only occurs for iron pnictides with low-energy itinerant electron-spin excitation coupling and high energy spin excitations. Since our absolute spin susceptibility measurements for optimally hole-doped iron pnictide reveal that the change in magnetic exchange energy below and above Tc can account for the superconducting condensation energy, we conclude that the presence of both high-energy spin excitations giving rise to a large magnetic exchange coupling J and low-energy spin excitations coupled to the itinerant electrons is essential for high-Tc superconductivity in iron pnictides.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Ground state in a half-doped manganite distinguished by neutron spectroscopy

We have measured the spin-wave spectrum of the half-doped bilayer manganite Pr(Ca,Sr)2Mn2O7 in its spin, charge, and orbital ordered phase. The measurements, which extend throughout the Brillouin zone and cover the entire one-magnon spectrum, are compared critically with spin-wave calculations for different models of the electronic ground state. The data are described very well by the Goodenough model, which has weakly interacting ferromagnetic zig-zag chains in the CE-type arrangement. A model that allows ferromagnetic dimers to form within the zigzags is inconsistent with the data. The analysis conclusively rules out the strongly bound dimer (Zener polaron) model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Temperature dependence of the paramagnetic spin excitations in BaFe$_2$As$_2$

We use inelastic neutron scattering to study temperature dependence of the paramagnetic spin excitations in iron pnictide BaFe$_2$As$_2$ throughout the Brillouin zone. In contrast to a conventional local moment Heisenberg system, where paramagnetic spin excitations are expected to have a Lorentzian function centered at zero energy transfer, the high-energy ($\hbarω>100$ meV) paramagnetic spin excitations in BaFe$_2$As$_2$ exhibit spin-wave-like features up to at least 290 K ($T= 2.1T_N$). Furthermore, we find that the sizes of the fluctuating magnetic moments $ \approx 3.6\ μ^2_B$ per Fe are essentially temperature independent from the AF ordered state at $0.05T_N$ to $2.1T_N$, which differs considerably from the temperature dependent fluctuating moment observed in the iron chalcogenide Fe$_{1.1}$Te [I. A. Zaliznyak {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 107}, 216403 (2011).]. These results suggest unconventional magnetism and strong electron correlation effects in BaFe$_2$As$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

Spin-wave excitations and superconducting resonant mode in Cs(x)Fe(2-y)Se2

We report neutron inelastic scattering measurements on the normal and superconducting states of single-crystalline Cs0.8Fe1.9Se2. Consistent with previous measurements on Rb(x)Fe(2-y)Se2, we observe two distinct spin excitation signals: (i) spin-wave excitations characteristic of the block antiferromagnetic order found in insulating A(x)Fe(2-y)Se2 compounds, and (ii) a resonance-like magnetic peak localized in energy at 11 meV and at an in-plane wave vector of (0.25, 0.5). The resonance peak increases below Tc = 27 K, and has a similar absolute intensity to the resonance peaks observed in other Fe-based superconductors. The existence of a magnetic resonance in the spectrum of Rb(x)Fe(2-y)Se2 and now of Cs(x)Fe(2-y)Se2 suggests that this is a common feature of superconductivity in this family. The low energy spin-wave excitations in Cs0.8Fe1.9Se2 show no measurable response to superconductivity, consistent with the notion of spatially separate magnetic and superconducting phases.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2011

Probing high-energy electronic excitations using inelastic neutron scattering

High-energy, local multiplet excitations of the d-electrons are revealed in our inelastic neutron scattering measurements on the prototype magnetic insulator NiO. These become allowed by the presence of both non-zero crystal field and spin-orbit coupling. The observed excitations are consistent with optical, x-ray, and EELS measurements of d-d excitations. This experiment serves as a proof of principle that high-energy neutron spectroscopy is a reliable and useful technique for probing electronic excitations in systems with significant crystal field and spin-orbit interactions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Itinerant Spin Excitations in SrFe2As2 Measured by Inelastic Neutron Scattering

We report inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the magnetic excitations in SrFe2As2, the parent of a family of iron-based superconductors. The data extend throughout the Brillouin zone and up to energies of ~260meV. An analysis with the local-moment J_1-J2 model implies very different in-plane nearest-neighbor exchange parameters along the $a$ and $b$ directions, both in the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases. However, the spectrum calculated from the J1-J2 model deviates significantly from our data. We show that the qualitative features that cannot be described by the J1-J2 model are readily explained by calculations from a 5-band itinerant mean-field model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Spin fluctuations in LiFeAs observed by neutron scattering

We report neutron inelastic scattering measurements on the stoichiometric iron-based superconductor LiFeAs. We find evidence for (i) magnetic scattering consistent with strong antiferromagnetic fluctuations, and (ii) an increase in intensity in the superconducting state at low energies, similar to the resonant magnetic excitation observed in other iron-based superconductors. The results do not support a recent theoretical prediction of spin-triplet p-wave superconductivity in LiFeAs, and instead suggest that the mechanism of superconductivity is similar to that in the other iron-based superconductors.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Spin waves in the $(π,0)$ magnetically ordered iron chalcogenide Fe$_{1.05}$Te

We use inelastic neutron scattering to show that the spin waves in the iron chalcogenide Fe$_{1.05}$Te display novel dispersion clearly different from those in the related iron pnictide systems. By fitting the spin waves to a Heisenberg Hamiltonian, we extract magnetic exchange couplings that are dramatically different from both predictions by density functional calculations and measurements on the iron pnictide CaFe$_2$As$_2$. While the nearest-neighbor exchange couplings in CaFe$_2$As$_2$ and Fe$_{1.05}$Te are quite different, their next-nearest-neighbor exchange couplings are similar. These results suggest that superconductivity in the pnictides and chalcogenides share a common magnetic origin that is intimately associated with the next-nearest-neighbor magnetic coupling between the irons.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Nematic spin fluid in the tetragonal phase of BaFe2As2

Magnetic interactions are generally believed to play a key role in mediating electron pairing for superconductivity in iron arsenides; yet their character is only partially understood. Experimentally, the antiferromagnetic (AF) transition is always preceded by or coincident with a tetragonal to orthorhombic structural distortion. Although it has been suggested that this lattice distortion is driven by an electronic nematic phase, where a spontaneously generated electronic liquid crystal state breaks the C4 rotational symmetry of the paramagnetic state, experimental evidence for electronic anisotropy has been either in the low-temperature orthorhombic phase or the tetragonal phase under uniaxial pressure that breaks this symmetry. Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to demonstrate the presence of a large in-plane spin anisotropy above TN in the unstressed tetragonal phase of BaFe2As2. In the low-temperature orthorhombic phase, we find highly anisotropic spin waves with a large damping along the AF a-axis direction. On warming the system to the paramagnetic tetragonal phase, the low-energy spin waves evolve into quasi-elastic excitations, while the anisotropic spin excitations near the zone boundary persist. These results strongly suggest that the spin nematicity we find in the tetragonal phase of BaFe2As2 is the source of the electronic and orbital anisotropy observed above TN by other probes, and has profound consequences for the physics of these materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2010

Anomalous High-Energy Spin Excitations in La2CuO4

Inelastic neutron scattering is used to investigate the collective magnetic excitations of the high-temperature superconductor parent antiferromagnet La2CuO4. We find that while the lower energy excitations are well described by spin-wave theory, including one- and two-magnon scattering processes, the high-energy spin waves are strongly damped near the (1/2,0) position in reciprocal space and merge into a momentum dependent continuum. This anomalous damping indicates the decay of spin waves into other excitations, possibly unbound spinon pairs.

cond-mat.str-el↗