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Khatua J, Arh T, Mishra SB, Luetkens H, Zorko A, Sana B, Rao MSR, Nanda BRK, Khuntia P. Development of short and long-range magnetic order in the double perovskite based frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet Ba[Formula: see text]MnTeO[Formula: see text]. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6959. [PMID: 33772050 PMCID: PMC7997969 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84876-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Frustrated magnets based on oxide double perovskites offer a viable ground wherein competing magnetic interactions, macroscopic ground state degeneracy and complex interplay between emergent degrees of freedom can lead to correlated quantum phenomena with exotic excitations highly relevant for potential technological applications. By local-probe muon spin relaxation ([Formula: see text]SR) and complementary thermodynamic measurements accompanied by first-principles calculations, we here demonstrate novel electronic structure and magnetic phases of Ba[Formula: see text]MnTeO[Formula: see text], where Mn[Formula: see text] ions with S = 5/2 spins constitute a perfect triangular lattice. Magnetization results evidence the presence of strong antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn[Formula: see text] spins and a phase transition at [Formula: see text] = 20 K. Below [Formula: see text], the specific heat data show antiferromagnetic magnon excitations with a gap of 1.4 K, which is due to magnetic anisotropy. [Formula: see text]SR reveals the presence of static internal fields in the ordered state and short-range spin correlations high above [Formula: see text]. It further unveils critical slowing-down of spin dynamics at [Formula: see text] and the persistence of spin dynamics even in the magnetically ordered state. Theoretical studies infer that Heisenberg interactions govern the inter- and intra-layer spin-frustration in this compound. Our results establish that the combined effect of a weak third-nearest-neighbour ferromagnetic inter-layer interaction (owing to double-exchange) and intra-layer interactions stabilizes a three-dimensional magnetic ordering in this frustrated magnet.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Khatua
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
- Quantum Centre for Diamond and Emergent Materials, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
- Functional Oxide Research Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
| | - T. Arh
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova c. 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska u. 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Shashi B. Mishra
- Condensed Matter Theory and Computational Lab, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
| | - H. Luetkens
- Laboratory for Muon-Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - A. Zorko
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova c. 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska u. 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - B. Sana
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
| | - M. S. Ramachandra Rao
- Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
- Quantum Centre for Diamond and Emergent Materials, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
| | - B. R. K. Nanda
- Condensed Matter Theory and Computational Lab, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
- Functional Oxide Research Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
- Atomistic Modelling and Materials Design Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
| | - P. Khuntia
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
- Quantum Centre for Diamond and Emergent Materials, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
- Functional Oxide Research Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 India
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