ABSTRACT
The low-energy dynamical properties of the multiferroic hexagonal perovskite ErMnO3 have been studied by inelastic neutron scattering as well as terahertz and far infrared spectroscopies on a synchrotron source. From these complementary techniques, we have determined the magnon and crystal field spectra and identified a zone center magnon excitable only by the electric field of an electromagnetic wave. Using a comparison with the isostructural YMnO3 compound and crystal field calculations, we propose that this dynamical magnetoelectric process is due to the hybridization of a magnon with an electroactive crystal field transition.
ABSTRACT
We have determined the terahertz spectrum of the chiral langasite Ba3NbFe3Si2O14 by means of synchrotron-radiation measurements. Two excitations are revealed that are shown to have a different nature. The first one, purely magnetic, is observed at low temperature in the magnetically ordered phase and is assigned to a magnon. The second one persists far into the paramagnetic phase and exhibits both an electric and a magnetic activity at slightly different energies. This magnetoelectric excitation is interpreted in terms of atomic rotations and requires a helical electric polarization.
ABSTRACT
Using magnetic torque measurements on a NaNiO(2) single crystal, we have established the magnetic phase diagram of this triangular compound. It presents five different phases depending on the temperature (4-300 K) and magnetic field (0-22 T) revealing several spin reorientations coupled to different magnetic anisotropies.
ABSTRACT
High static magnetic field magnetization measurements have been performed up to 23 T on Ho(0.43)Y(2.57)Fe(5)O(12) single crystals at helium temperature (T = 4.2 K) with fields applied along the three main cubic axes: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The change from the spontaneous ferrimagnetic structure in zero magnetic field to the fully ferromagnetic one in high field takes place through several intermediate phases separated by transitions with step-like magnetization behaviour, but without any observed hysteresis. Using the effective spin Hamiltonian approximation, we show that the general features of these transitions can be accounted for by a large magnetocristalline anisotropy of the Ho(3+) moments of the uniaxial type along the local z axis of each rare-earth site. The model is in better agreement with the experiments than its Ising limit, widely used before, but is still unsuccessful in predicting the 'umbrella' magnetic structures found by previous neutron and NMR experiments.
ABSTRACT
A cuprate superconductor containing double mercury layers was synthesized with a high-pressure, high-temperature technique. The compound, with chemical formula Hg(2)Ba(2)-Y1-xCaxCu(2)O(8-delta), contains a double HgO layer with structure similar to that of rock salt. The prototype compound Hg(2)Ba(2)YCu(2)O(8-delta) is an insulator. Superconductivity is induced in the system by partially replacing yttrium with calcium.
