Magnetism in geometrically frustrated YMnO3 under hydrostatic pressure studied with muon spin relaxation

Classical Spin Liquid or Extended Critical Range in h-YMnO_{3}?

Neutron spectroscopy on the classical triangular-lattice frustrated antiferromagnet h-YMnO_{3} reveals diffuse, gapless magnetic excitations present both far below and above the ordering temperature. The correlation length of the excitations increases as the temperature approaches zero, bearing a strong resemblance to critical scattering. We model the dynamics in the ordered and correlated disordered phase as critical spin correlations in a two-dimensional magnetic state. We propose that our findings may provide a general framework to understand features often attributed to classical spin liquids.

Local magnetism, magnetic order and spin freezing in the 'nonmetallic metal' FeCrAs

We present the results of x-ray scattering and muon-spin relaxation ([Formula: see text]SR) measurements on the iron-pnictide compound FeCrAs. Polarized non-resonant magnetic x-ray scattering results reveal the 120° periodicity expected from the suggested three-fold symmetric, non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure. [Formula: see text]SR measurements indicate a magnetically ordered phase throughout the bulk of the material below [Formula: see text] K. There are signs of fluctuating magnetism in a narrow range of temperatures above [Formula: see text] involving low-energy excitations, while at temperatures well below [Formula: see text] behaviour characteristic of freezing of dynamics is observed, likely reflecting the effect of disorder in our polycrystalline sample. Using density functional theory we propose a distinct muon stopping site in this compound and assess the degree of distortion induced by the implanted muon.

The Magnetic Phase Transition and Universality Class of h-YMnO3 and h-(Y0.98Eu0.02)MnO3 Under Zero and Applied Pressure

We investigated the antiferromagnetic phase transition in the frustrated and multiferroic hexagonal manganites h-YMnO 3 (YMO) and h-(Y 0.98 Eu 0.02 )MnO 3 (YEMO). Elastic neutron scattering was used to study, in detail, the phase transition in YMO and YEMO under zero pressure and in YMO under a hydrostatic pressure of 1.5 GPa. Under conditions of zero pressure, we found critical temperatures of T N = 71.3 ( 1 ) K and 72.11 ( 5 ) K and the critical exponent 0.22 ( 2 ) and β = 0.206 ( 3 ) , for YMO and YEMO, respectively. This is in agreement with earlier work by Roessli et al. Under an applied hydrostatic pressure of 1.5 GPa, the ordering temperature increased to T N = 75.2 ( 5 ) K, in agreement with earlier reports, while β was unchanged. Inelastic neutron scattering was used to determine the size of the anisotropy spin wave gap close to the phase transition. From spin wave theory, the gap is expected to close with a critical exponent, β ′ , identical to the order parameter β . Our results indicate that the gap in YEMO indeed closes at T N = 72.4 ( 3 ) K with β ′ = 0.24 ( 2 ) , while the in-pressure gap in YMO closes at 75.2(5) K with an exponent of β ′ = 0.19 ( 3 ) . In addition, the low temperature anisotropy gap was found to have a slightly higher absolute value under pressure. The consistent values obtained for β in the two systems support the likelihood of a new universality class for triangular, frustrated antiferromagnets.

Spontaneous decays of magneto-elastic excitations in non-collinear antiferromagnet (Y,Lu)MnO3

Magnons and phonons are fundamental quasiparticles in a solid and can be coupled together to form a hybrid quasi-particle. However, detailed experimental studies on the underlying Hamiltonian of this particle are rare for actual materials. Moreover, the anharmonicity of such magnetoelastic excitations remains largely unexplored, although it is essential for a proper understanding of their diverse thermodynamic behaviour and intrinsic zero-temperature decay. Here we show that in non-collinear antiferromagnets, a strong magnon–phonon coupling can significantly enhance the anharmonicity, resulting in the creation of magnetoelastic excitations and their spontaneous decay. By measuring the spin waves over the full Brillouin zone and carrying out anharmonic spin wave calculations using a Hamiltonian with an explicit magnon–phonon coupling, we have identified a hybrid magnetoelastic mode in (Y,Lu)MnO₃ and quantified its decay rate and the exchange-striction coupling term required to produce it.

The properties of magnetic, crystalline solids can be described in terms of quantum particles of spin-wave and lattice-vibration energy, known as magnons and phonons respectively. Here, the authors show that strong magnon-phonon coupling in a noncollinear antiferromagnet can create magnetoelastic excitations.