Magnetic Surprises on a Triangular Lattice

Collin Broholm
Johns Hopkins University & NIST
Introduction
Frustration
Neutron Scattering
Triangular Lattice AFM
Theoretical Status
Experimental Status
Triangular lattice systems
Neel (RbFe(MoO
4
)
2
)
Glassy (NiGa
2
S
4
)
Conclusions
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 2
Collaborators
RbFe(MoO
4
)
2
G. Gasparovic
M. Kenzelmann
S. Park
A. Smirnov
L. N. Demianets
A. Ya. Shapiro
G. Lawes
A. P. Ramirez
NiGa
2
S
4
S. Nakatsuji
Y. Nambu
H. Tonomura
O. Sakai
C. Stock
S. Jonas
Y. Qiu
Y. Maeno
J. Chung
La
4
Cu
3
MoO
12
Y. Qiu
S. Ishiwata
M. Azuma
M. Takano
R. Bewley
W. J. L. Buyers
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 3
Frustrated Condensed Matter
Lattice symmetry established by chemical bonding (large energy
scales) can frustrate weaker magnetic interactions
Frustrated
Frustration produces classically degenerate states of matter with
a potential for emergent quantum properties
Satisfied
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 4
MACS spectrometer under construction at NIST
MACS spectrometer
under construction at NIST
p
i
p
f
Q
)

> =

RR'
R R
R R Q
Q ) ( S ) 0 (
1
2
1
) , (
'
'
t S e
N
e dt
i t i F E [ EF
T
[
J
S
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 5
z=3/4 CuMoO plane
La
4
Cu
3
MoO
12
: A lattice of spin-1/2 trimers
Magnetic susceptibility Magnetic susceptibility
Crystal Structure Crystal Structure
(Azuma et. al., PRB 62 R3588)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 6
Frustrated quantum spin triangles
)
1 3 3 2 2 1
S S S S S S + + = J H
J
J J
J
2
3
J
2
3
1 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1
S S S S S S + + = J J J H
J
1
J
3
J
2
2 2
3 J
J
H

) ) ) )
2
1 3
2
3 2
2
2 1 2
1
J J J J J J J + + = H
J H
Yiming Qiu et al. PRB 2005
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 7
Spectroscopy of spin trimers
Transition to quartet Transition to quartet
Yiming Qiu et al. PRB 2005
70 K
10 K
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.2
J H
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 8
Magnetic Ordering of Composite spin-1/2
) 00
2
1
= Q
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 9
Strongly fluctuating spin trimer AFM
Yiming Qiu et al. PRB 2005
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 10
Neutron Scattering Neutron Scattering
Exact two-spinon
cross-section
Exact two-spinon
cross-section
Stone et al. (2003).
Karbach et al. 2000
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 11
Frustrated Linkage of Triangles
Triangular lattice
Kagome lattice
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 12
A brief status of Triangular lattice research
Theory
RVB state proposed (Anderson 1973)
Classical Heisenberg model has 120
o
LRO at T=0
(Huse, Rutenberg)
S=1/2 model has LRO for T=0 (Huse, Singh)
Finite temperature KT transition (Kawamura &
Miyashita)
RVB state in Ising model (Moessner and Sondhi)
Experiments
Spin-1/2 insulators generally have some form of
dimerization and no LRO
Spin-1/2 (ET)
2
Cu
2
(CN)
3
close to MIT shows no spin
order. It superconducts under pressure
Spin-1/2 anisotropic system has de-confined
excitations in a field (Cs
2
CuCl
4
)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 13
RbFe(MoO
4
)
2
: spin-5/2 triangular AFM
J
J
1

J
2
J
Kenzelmann, Gasparovic et al. (2005)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 14
Field Dependent Long Range Order
120
o
structure
Field dependent
Incommensurate
stacking
Spins in
triangular plane
Moment reduced
to 75(1)%
Incommensurate
state is
ferroelectric!
Kenzelmann, Gasparovic et al. (2005)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 15
NiGa
2
S
4
: Spin-1 Triangular Lattice AFM
J
1
1 x 97
o
2 x 2.42
J
2
2 x 100
o
2 x 2.42
1 x 3.21
J
3
2 x 138.5
o
2 x 2.42
1 x 3.63
Nakatsuji et al. Science (2005)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 16
No phase transition as T/5
CW
0
5
CW
=80 K so AFM
Cusp in G for T7 K
No conventional
phase transition
Two maxima in C/T
Finite T entropy
plateau
Nakatsuji et al. (2005)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 17
Spin freezing without C(T) anomaly
Single crystal
Nakatsuji et al. (2005)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 18
Short range magnetic correlations
)
)
) )
)
)
2
* 2
2
2
0 2
2
2
/

1 2 cos
2
d g A
r F Q N
d
W O T
E
O
= +
O
+
q q

m Q m Q c
Q q
Surprises:
1
2
120
o
Q Q }
1
25(3) O

Nakatsuji et al. (2005)

11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 19
Single crystals confirm 2D Incom. SRO
0.155(1) L =
1
16(1) O

=
FM inter-plane correlations
Planar spin structure
)
1 1
6 6
1
C. Stock et al. (2005)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 20
Excitations from low T state
Early dispersion relation
What is clear so far:
Spin wave like modes at low T
A slow low E mode throughout zone
+ A highly dispersive mode
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 21
Classical Short range fluctuations at high T
Correlations at entropy plateau:
Relaxation rate +<k
B
T
Correlation length ~ a
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 22
The weak response to H//a*
With increasing field:
Intra plane correlations unchanged
Reduce Inter-plane correlations
Moments more to plane B
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 23
Frozen spin structure
120
o
structure on 2a
super-lattice (colors)
Incommensurate
modulation
Spins in triangular
plane
Moment reduced to
75(8)%
Weak ferromagnetic
inter-plane correlations
Nakatsuji et al. (2005)
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 24
J
1
-J
3
model on triangular lattice?
) 0 LL = Q
J
1
=0
J
1
=-0.2J
3
Accounts for
no peak
incommensurability
Plausible given likely
exchange paths
Further confirmation
needed
)
1 1
3 3
0
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 25
Thought on quantum glassy phase
Not conventional disordered glass:
Coherent wave propagation
No forward scattering
Impurities involved but unlikely to
define short length scale
Puddles of AFM around impurities in
isolated singlet ground state system
Gapped triplet sector gapless singlet
sector pinned by impurities
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 26
Conclusions
Glassy phases endemic to real spin systems near quantum
critical point
Distinguishing characteristics of glassy phase
Coherent modes despite short range spin-correlations
Absence of forward scattering
Gapless triplet spectrum
RbFe(MoO
4
)
2
120
o
structure for sufficient inter-plane coupling
Competing interplane interactions yield incommensurate
ferroelectric phase
NiGa
2
S
4
spin-1 system with potential for J
1
-J
3
model
Glassy incommensurate phase at low T suggest weak
interlayer coupling and weak or absent 2D Neel order
Double peak structure in C(T) indicates a gapped phase
may be present in this problem
e
11/15/05 Rutgers Seminar 27
Future plans
RbFe(MoO
4
)
2
Explore multiferroic properties in particular electric
field induced handedness of magnetic state
Establish exchange constants through spin wave
measurements
NiGa
2
S
4
Carrier doping may be possible.
Effects of uni-axial stress and pressure
Spin wave measurements to determine hamiltonian
Increase disorder (Zn, S)
Theoretical issues:
Spin-1 triangular lattice AFM: spin liquid?
J
1
-J
3
triangular lattice model: entropy plateau?
Phenomenology of glassy quantum magnetism