Decoupled spin dynamics in the rare-earth orthoferrite YbFeO3: Evolution of magnetic excitations through the spin-reorientation transition

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • S. E. Nikitin - , Chair of Neutron Spectroscopy of Condensed Matter, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • L. S. Wu - , Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Author)
  • A. S. Sefat - , Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Author)
  • K. A. Shaykhutdinov - , RAS - Kirensky Institute of Physics, Siberian Branch (Author)
  • Z. Lu - , Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy (Author)
  • S. Meng - , China National Nuclear Corporation (Author)
  • E. Pomjakushina - , Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) (Author)
  • K. Conder - , Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) (Author)
  • G. Ehlers - , Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Author)
  • M. D. Lumsden - , Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Author)
  • A. Kolesnikov - , Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Author)
  • S. Barilo - , Scientific and Practical Centre for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (Author)
  • S. A. Guretskii - , Scientific and Practical Centre for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (Author)
  • D. S. Inosov - , Chair of Neutron Spectroscopy of Condensed Matter (Author)
  • A. Podlesnyak - , Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Author)

Abstract

In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of magnetic dynamics in the rare-earth orthoferrite YbFeO3 at temperatures below and above the spin-reorientation (SR) transition T-SR = 7.6 K, in magnetic fields applied along the a, b, and c axes. Using single-crystal inelastic neutron scattering, we observed that the spectrum of magnetic excitations consists of two collective modes well separated in energy: 3D gapped magnons with a bandwidth of similar to 60 meV, associated with the antiferromagnetically (AFM) ordered Fe subsystem, and quasi-1D AFM fluctuations of similar to 1 meV within the Yb subsystem, with no hybridization of those modes. The spin dynamics of the Fe subsystem changes very little through the SR transition and could be well described in the frame of semiclassical linear spin-wave theory. On the other hand, the rotation of the net moment of the Fe subsystem at T-SR drastically changes the excitation spectrum of the Yb subsystem, inducing the transition between two regimes with magnon and spinonlike fluctuations. At T < T-SR, the Yb spin chains have a well defined field-induced ferromagnetic (FM) ground state, and the spectrum consists of a sharp single-magnon mode, a two-magnon bound state, and a two-magnon continuum, whereas at T > T-SR only a gapped broad spinonlike continuum dominates the spectrum. In this work we show that a weak quasi-1D coupling within the Yb subsystem J(YB-YB), mainly neglected in previous studies, creates unusual quantum spin dynamics on the low-energy scales. The results of our work may stimulate further experimental search for similar compounds with several magnetic subsystems and energy scales, where low-energy fluctuations and underlying physics could be "hidden" by a dominating interaction.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number064424
Number of pages13
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume98
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 27 Aug 2018
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85052838144

Keywords

Keywords

  • MAGNON BOUND-STATES, NEUTRON-SCATTERING, ANTIFERROMAGNETIC CHAIN, QUANTUM CRITICALITY, HEISENBERG CHAIN, SINGLE-CRYSTALS, SPECTRUM, WAVES, DIFFRACTION, SOFTWARE

Library keywords