Magnetism of Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ single crystals near the Néel temperature

Abstract

Single crystals of Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ were grown and characterized using neutron scattering and thermodynamic measurements. Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ has long-range antiferromagnetic order below $T_{\mathrm{N}}$ = 0.55 K and specific heat measurements have demonstrated that a significant amount of the magnetic entropy is released above $T_{\mathrm{N}}$. Inelastic neutron scattering experiments reveal a magnetic mode(s) with little dispersion peaked at $\approx$ 0.37 meV that is of greatest intensity below $T_{\mathrm{N}}$ but persists above 2$T_{\mathrm{N}}$. This persistence of dynamic correlations is likely related to frustrated interactions associated with the nearly-ideal stacked triangular lattice geometry of $J_{\text{eff}}$ = 1/2 spins on Nd${}^{3+}$ ions. The magnetization is observed to be strongly anisotropic at all temperatures due to crystal field effects, with easy-plane anisotropy observed. A non-compensated magnetic structure is inferred from the temperature-dependence of the magnetization when a magnetic field of sufficient strength is applied within the basal plane near $T_{\mathrm{N}}$, and the evolution of the long-range order is summarized in a temperature-field phase diagram.

11 pages

References in corpus (1)

• Classical spin liquids in stacked triangular lattice Ising antiferromagnets

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Electronic and magnetic properties of light rare-earth cubic Laves compounds derived from XMCD experiments