Magnetic phase diagram of the helimagnetic spinel compound ZnCr2Se4 revisited by small-angle neutron scattering

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

We performed small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements on the helimagnetic spinel compound ZnCr2Se4. The ground state of this material is a multi-domain spin-spiral phase, which undergoes domain selection in a magnetic field and reportedly exhibits a transition to a proposed spin-nematic phase at higher fields. We observed a continuous change in the magnetic structure as a function of field and temperature, as well as a weak discontinuous jump in the spiral pitch across the domain-selection transition upon increasing field. From our SANS results we have established the absence of any long-range magnetic order in the high-field (spin-nematic) phase. We also found that all the observed phase transitions are surprisingly isotropic with respect to the field direction.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number146001
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Physics-Condensed Matter
Volume28
Issue number14
Publication statusPublished - 13 Apr 2016
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 84962294122

Keywords

Keywords

  • magnetism, helimagnet, spin-nematic, neutron scattering

Library keywords