Possible realization of an antiferromagnetic Griffiths phase in Ba(Fe1-xMnx)(2)As-2

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • D. S. Inosov - , Institute of Solid State and Materials Physics, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • G. Friemel - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • J. T. Park - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • A. C. Walters - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Y. Texier - , Université Paris-Saclay (Author)
  • Y. Laplace - , Université Paris-Saclay (Author)
  • J. Bobroff - , Université Paris-Saclay (Author)
  • V. Hinkov - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • D. L. Sun - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • Y. Liu - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • R. Khasanov - , Paul Scherrer Institute (Author)
  • K. Sedlak - , Paul Scherrer Institute (Author)
  • Ph. Bourges - , Université Paris-Saclay (Author)
  • Y. Sidis - , Université Paris-Saclay (Author)
  • A. Ivanov - , ILL - Institut Laue-Langevin (Author)
  • C. T. Lin - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)
  • T. Keller - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • B. Keimer - , Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) (Author)

Abstract

We investigate magnetic ordering in metallic Ba(Fe1-xMnx)(2)As-2 and discuss the unusualmagnetic phase, which was recently discovered for Mn concentrations x > 10%. We argue that it can be understood as a Griffiths-type phase that forms above the quantum critical point associated with the suppression of the stripe-antiferromagnetic spin-density-wave (SDW) order in BaFe2As2 by the randomly introduced localized Mn moments acting as strong magnetic impurities. While the SDW transition at x = 0, 2.5%, and 5% remains equally sharp, in the x = 12% sample we observe an abrupt smearing of the antiferromagnetic transition in temperature and a considerable suppression of the spin gap in the magnetic excitation spectrum. According to our muon-spin-relaxation, nuclear magnetic resonance and neutron-scattering data, antiferromagnetically ordered rare regions start forming in the x = 12% sample significantly above the Neel temperature of the parent compound. Upon cooling, their volume grows continuously, leading to an increase in the magnetic Bragg intensity and to the gradual opening of a partial spin gap in the magnetic excitation spectrum. Using neutron Larmor diffraction, we also demonstrate that the magnetically ordered volume is characterized by a finite orthorhombic distortion, which could not be resolved in previous diffraction studies most probably due to its coexistence with the tetragonal phase and a microstrain-induced broadening of the Bragg reflections. We argue that Ba(Fe1-xMnx)(2)As-2 could represent an interesting model spin-glass system, in which localized magnetic moments are randomly embedded into a SDW metal with Fermi surface nesting.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number224425
Number of pages16
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume87
Issue number22
Publication statusPublished - 26 Jun 2013
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 84879778386

Keywords

Keywords

  • HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTIVITY, MUON SPIN RELAXATION, NEUTRON-SCATTERING, LARMOR PRECESSION, RKKY INTERACTION, IRON PNICTIDES, QUANTUM, EXCITATIONS, BEHAVIOR, MOMENTS

Library keywords