Magnetoelastic and structural properties of azurite Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 from neutron scattering and muon spin rotation

Abstract

Azurite, Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2, has been considered an ideal example of a one-dimensional (1D) diamond chain antiferromagnet. Early studies of this material imply the presence of an ordered antiferromagnetic phase below $T_N\sim 1.9$ K while magnetization measurements have revealed a 1/3 magnetization plateau. Until now, no corroborating neutron scattering results have been published to confirm the ordered magnetic moment structure. We present recent neutron diffraction results which reveal the presence of commensurate magnetic order in azurite which coexists with significant magnetoelastic strain. The latter of these effects may indicate the presence of spin frustration in zero applied magnetic field. Muon spin rotation, $\mu$SR, reveals an onset of short-range order below 3K and confirms long-range order below $T_N$.

arXiv comment5 pages, 4 figures, PHYSICAL REVIEW B 81, 140406(R) (2010)

References in corpus (7)

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• Nature of the spin dynamics and 1/3 magnetization plateau in azurite
• Ground states with cluster structures in a frustrated Heisenberg chain
• Magnetic properties of the $S=1/2$ distorted diamond chain at T=0
• Frustrated trimer chain model and Cu3Cl6(H2O)2 2H8C4SO2 in a magnetic field
• Ground state of an $S=1/2$ distorted diamond chain - model of $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_3\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{l}}_6({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}{)}_2\cdot 2{\mathrm{H}}_8{\mathrm{C}}_4\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_2$
• Spin Configuration in the 1/3 Magnetization Plateau of Azurite Determined by NMR

Cited by in corpus (11)

• Multi-step approach to microscopic models for frustrated quantum magnets - the case of the natural mineral azurite
• Quantum Magnetism in Minerals
• Dynamic and thermodynamic properties of the generalised diamond chain model for azurite
• The spin gap in malachite Cu2(OH)2CO3 and its evolution under pressure
• The magnetic and crystal structure of azurite Cu${}_3$(CO${}_3$)${}_2$(OH)${}_2$ as determined by neutron diffraction
• High-resolution thermal expansion measurements under Helium-gas pressure
• The dynamics of azurite Cu${}_3$(CO${}_3$)${}_2$(OH)${}_2$ in a magnetic field as determined by neutron scattering
• Magneto-elastic couplings in the distorted diamond-chain compound azurite
• Thermal conductivity of the diamond-chain compound Cu_3(CO_3)_2(OH)_2
• Spin dynamics and 1/3 magnetization plateau in a coupled distorted diamond chain compound K2Cu3(MoO4)4
• Critical Phenomena at the Antiferromagnetic Phase Transition of Azurite