Field evolution of the magnetic structures in Er${}_2$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$ through the critical point

Abstract

We have measured neutron diffraction patterns in a single crystal sample of the pyrochlore compound Er${}_2$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$ in the antiferromagnetic phase (T=0.3\,K), as a function of the magnetic field, up to 6\,T, applied along the [110] direction. We determine all the characteristics of the magnetic structure throughout the quantum critical point at $H_c$=2\,T. As a main result, all Er moments align along the field at $H_c$ and their values reach a minimum. Using a four-sublattice self-consistent calculation, we show that the evolution of the magnetic structure and the value of the critical field are rather well reproduced using the same anisotropic exchange tensor as that accounting for the local paramagnetic susceptibility. In contrast, an isotropic exchange tensor does not match the moment variations through the critical point. The model also accounts semi-quantitatively for other experimental data previously measured, such as the field dependence of the heat capacity, energy of the dispersionless inelastic modes and transition temperature.

7 pages; 8 figures

References in corpus (1)

• Energetic selection of ordered states in a model of the Er2Ti2O7 frustrated pyrochlore XY antiferromagnet

Cited by in corpus (16)

• Definitive Evidence for Order-by-Quantum-Disorder in Er2Ti2O7
• Quantum order by disorder and accidental soft mode Er2Ti2O7
• Magnetic order, magnetic correlations and spin dynamics in the pyrochlore antiferromagnet Er2Ti2O7
• Ground state selection in XY pyrochlore antiferromagnets R${}_2$Ge${}_2$O${}_7$ (R = Er, Yb)
• Order by Disorder and Energetic Selection of the Ground State in the XY Pyrochlore Antiferromagnet Er2Ti2O7. An Inelastic Neutron Scattering Study
• Nature of finite-temperature transition in anisotropic pyrochlore Er2Ti2O7
• Palmer-Chalker correlations in the XY pyrochlore antiferromagnet Er2Sn2O7
• Titanium pyrochlore magnets: how much can be learned from magnetization measurements?
• Magnetisation process in Er2Ti2O7 and Tb2Ti2O7 at very low temperature
• Field-Induced magnetic structures in Tb2Ti2O7 at low temperatures: From spin-ice to spin-flip structures
• Magnetic dilution and domain selection in the XY pyrochlore antiferromagnet Er${}_2$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$
• Low-temperature heat transport of the geometrically frustrated antiferromagnets R_2Ti_2O_7 (R = Gd and Er)
• Low-field behavior of an XY pyrochlore antiferromagnet: emergent clock anisotropies
• Field induced phase diagram of the XY pyrochlore antiferromagnet Er${}_2$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$
• Experimental evidence for field induced emergent clock anisotropies in the XY pyrochlore Er${}_2$Ti${}_2$O${}_7$
• The Magnetic Structure of $E{r}_{2}T{i}_2{O}_7$