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Spin-liquid and spin-ice states in frustrated rare-earth and transition metal spinels

English title Spin-liquid and spin-ice states in frustrated rare-earth and transition metal spinels
Applicant Zaharko Oksana
Number 152734
Funding scheme SCOPES
Research institution Paul Scherrer Institut
Institution of higher education Paul Scherrer Institute - PSI
Main discipline Condensed Matter Physics
Start/End 01.04.2014 - 30.04.2017
Approved amount 131'364.00
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Keywords (7)

spin ice; single crystals; frustrated magnetism; spin liquid; magnetic excitations; magnetic structures; neutron scattering

Lay Summary (German)

Lead
Magnetische Systeme mit frustrierten Austauschwechselwirkungen sind von grossem Interesse, insbesondere um unser Grundlagenwissen über Materie zu erweitern und unser Verständnis von gleichartigen kollektiven Phänomenen in der Natur zu vertiefen.Spineis, zum Beispiel, ist eine gute Parallele zu Wassereis, da sich die magnetischen Momente, Spins, bei niedrigen Energien so ausrichten, wie sich die Protonen im Wassereis in der stabilsten Konfiguration anordnen. Ausserdem erinnern die magnetischen Anregungen in Spineis an Dirac's elementare magnetische Monopole und können mit eine effektive Feldtheorie beschrieben werden.
Lay summary

Unser Ziel ist die Erforschung magnetischer Frustrationseffekte in Spinellstrukturen aus Übergangsmetallen und seltenen Erden. Wir erweitern verfügbare experimentelle Befunde und modellieren theoretisch spirale Spin- und Spin-Bahn-Flüssigkeitszustände, welche in den Übergangsmetallverbindungen AB2X4 (A=Fe, Mn, B=Sc, Y, X= S,Se) vermutet werden. Zudem erforschen wir systematisch die Reihe der seltenen Erdverbindungen AB2X4 (A=Cd, Zn; B=Er, Yb; X =S, Se), unter welchen die ersten Spinell-Spineise vermutet werden, wie es der Fall von CdEr2Se4 zeigt.


Unser Projekt wird durch die ergänzende Expertise des Moldawischen Teams für Materialsyntese, des Slowenischen Teams für lokale Messmethoden und des Schweizer Teams für Röntgen- und Neutronenstreuungsmethoden zum Verständnis der geometrisch frustrierten Spinells aus seltenen Erden und Übergangsmetallen beitragen. Das Projekt beinhaltet die Verbesserung der technologischen und technischen Anlagen unserer Osteuropäischen Partner.
Die zu untersuchenden Verbindungen sind äußerst interessant für die moderne Spintronik, bei der die Kopplung zwischen der Ladung und dem Spin der Elektronen ausgenutzt wird um neue elektronische Geräte mit neuartigen Funktionen zu entwerfen.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 08.04.2014

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

Publications

Publication
Magnetic Field Dependence of Excitations Near Spin-Orbital Quantum Criticality
Biffin A., Rüegg Ch., Embs J., Guidi T., Cheptiakov D., Loidl A., Tsurkan V., Coldea R. (2017), Magnetic Field Dependence of Excitations Near Spin-Orbital Quantum Criticality, in Physical Review Letters, 118(6), 067205.
Electron spin resonance insight into broadband absorption of the Chicago Cu3Bi(SeO3)2O2Br metamagnet
Zorko A., Gomilšek M., Pregelj M., Ozerov M., Zvyagin S. A., Ozarowski A., Tsurkan V., Loidl A., Zaharko O. (2016), Electron spin resonance insight into broadband absorption of the Chicago Cu3Bi(SeO3)2O2Br metamagnet, in AIP Advances, 6(5), 056210-056210.
Exchange anisotropy as mechanism for spin-stripe formation in frustrated spin chains
Pregelj M., Zaharko O., Herak M., Gomilšek M., Zorko A., Chapon L. C., Bourdarot F., Berger H., Arčon D. (2016), Exchange anisotropy as mechanism for spin-stripe formation in frustrated spin chains, in Physical Review B, 94(8), 081114.
Instabilities of spin-liquid states in a quantum kagome antiferromagnet
M. Gomilsek, M. Klanjsek, M. Pregelj, F. C. Coomer, H. Luetkens, O. Zaharko, T. Fennell, Y. Li, Q. M. Zhang, A. Zorko (2016), Instabilities of spin-liquid states in a quantum kagome antiferromagnet, in Phys. Rev. B, 93, 060405R.
Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc2S4
Gao Shang, Zaharko Oksana, Tsurkan Vladimir, Su Yixi, White Jonathan S., Tucker Gregory S., Roessli Bertrand, Bourdarot Frederic, Sibille Romain, Chernyshov Dmitry, Fennell Tom, Loidl Alois, Rüegg Christian (2016), Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc2S4, in Nature Physics, 13(2), 157-161.
μSR insight into the impurity problem in quantum kagome antiferromagnets
Gomilšek M., Klanjšek M., Pregelj M., Luetkens H., Li Y., Zhang Q. M., Zorko A. (2016), μSR insight into the impurity problem in quantum kagome antiferromagnets, in Physical Review B, 94(2), 024438.
Controllable Broadband Absorption in the Mixed Phase of Metamagnets
M. Pregelj, A. Zorko, O. Zaharko, O. Sendetskyi, H. Luetkens, C. Baines, A. Guenter, V. Tsurkan, A. Loidl (2015), Controllable Broadband Absorption in the Mixed Phase of Metamagnets, in Adv. Funct. Mater., 25, 3634.
Spin-stripe phase in a frustrated zigzag spin-1/2 chain
M. Pregelj, A. Zorko, O. Zaharko, H. Nojiri, H. Berger, L. Chapon, D. Arcon (2015), Spin-stripe phase in a frustrated zigzag spin-1/2 chain, in Nature Communications, 6, 7255.

Collaboration

Group / person Country
Types of collaboration
Prof. J. T. Haraldsen, University of North Florida United States of America (North America)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
Institute of Applied Physics of the Academy Moldova (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
“Jožef Stefan” Institut Slovenia (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
Prog. G. Balakrishnan Warwick University Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication

Scientific events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Title of article or contribution Date Place Persons involved
International Workshop on Quantum Spin Ice Talk given at a conference Dipolar spin ice states with fast monopole hopping in the spinels CdEr2X4 (X=Se,S) 06.06.2017 Waterloo, Canada Zaharko Oksana; Tsurcan Vladimir; Rüegg Christian; Fennell Tom;
APS March Meeting Talk given at a conference Spin orbital singlet system FeSc2S4 under pressure 13.03.2017 New Orleans, United States of America Tsurcan Vladimir; Rüegg Christian;
PSI theory group seminar Individual talk Frustrated magnetism in diamond lattice antiferromagnet MnSc2S4 07.02.2017 PSI Villigen, Switzerland Fennell Tom; Zaharko Oksana; Tsurcan Vladimir; Rüegg Christian;
PSI-IOP workshop Talk given at a conference Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc2S4 31.10.2016 Beijing, China Tsurcan Vladimir; Zaharko Oksana; Fennell Tom; Rüegg Christian;
Joint Workshop JCNS and Flipper Talk given at a conference Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc2S4 03.10.2016 Tutzing, Germany Fennell Tom; Zaharko Oksana; Rüegg Christian; Tsurcan Vladimir;
Recent progress in low-dimensional quantum magnetism Talk given at a conference Frustrated zig-zag S=1/2 chain system b-TeVO4 16.09.2016 EPFL Laiusanne, Switzerland Pregelj Matej; Zaharko Oksana;
8th International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism Poster Instabilities of spin-liquid states in a quantum kagome antiferromagnet 07.09.2016 Taipei, Taiwan Pregelj Matej; Zaharko Oksana;
8th International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism Poster Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc2S4 07.09.2016 Taipei, Taiwan Zaharko Oksana; Fennell Tom; Tsurcan Vladimir; Rüegg Christian;
8th International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism Poster Spin-stripe formation in a frustrated spin chain 07.09.2016 Taipei, Taiwan Zaharko Oksana; Pregelj Matej;
8th International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism Poster Spin Ice Physics in CdEr2X4 (X= Se, S) spinels 07.09.2016 Taipei, Taiwan Zaharko Oksana; Tsurcan Vladimir; Rüegg Christian; Fennell Tom;
Joint European Magnetic Symposia Poster Instabilities of spin-liquid states in a quantum kagome antiferromagnet 21.08.2016 Glasgow, Great Britain and Northern Ireland Zaharko Oksana; Pregelj Matej;
Joint European Magnetic Symposia Poster Magnetic anisotropy of unconventional magnetic phases in the frustrated zigzag spin-1/2 chain system b-TeVO4 21.08.2016 Glasgow, Great Britain and Northern Ireland Zaharko Oksana; Pregelj Matej;
Joint European Magnetic Symposia Poster Magnetic field induced broadband absorption in the mixed phase of metamagnets 21.08.2016 Glasgow, Great Britain and Northern Ireland Zaharko Oksana; Pregelj Matej;
Trends in Theory of Correlated Materials Poster Understanding the unusual spin excitations in MgCr2O4 22.05.2016 PSI Villigen, Switzerland Tsurcan Vladimir; Zaharko Oksana; Rüegg Christian; Fennell Tom;
International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems Poster Spin ice physics in the new spinel material CdEr2Se4 08.05.2016 Hangzhou, China Zaharko Oksana; Tsurcan Vladimir; Fennell Tom; Rüegg Christian;
Workshop on Neutron Scattering to study Magnetic, Multiferroic and Superconducting Materials (WNS 2016) Individual talk Frustrated magnetism in diamond lattice antiferromagnet MnSC2S4 10.02.2016 San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina Tsurcan Vladimir; Zaharko Oksana; Fennell Tom; Rüegg Christian;
MMM Intermag 2016 Joint Conference Poster Controllable broadband absorption in the mixed phase of metamagnets 11.01.2016 San Diego, United States of America Pregelj Matej; Zaharko Oksana;
6th European Conference on Neutron Scattering 2015 Talk given at a conference Spin ice physics in the new spinel material CdEr2Se4 30.08.2015 Zaragozza, Spain Fennell Tom; Zaharko Oksana; Rüegg Christian; Tsurcan Vladimir;
20th International Conference on Magnetism 2015 Poster Spiral-spin-liquid state in spinel MnSc2S4 06.07.2015 Barcelona, Spain Tsurcan Vladimir; Zaharko Oksana; Rüegg Christian; Fennell Tom;
20th International Conference om Magnetism Talk given at a conference Spin-stripe phase in a frustrated spin chain 05.07.2015 Barcelona, Spain Pregelj Matej; Zaharko Oksana;
9. Conference of Physicists in Basic Research Poster Study of spin-liquid ground state of the novel kagome antiferromagnet ZnCu3(OH)6SO4 12.11.2014 Škofja Loka, Slovenia Pregelj Matej;
9. Conference of Physicists in Basic Research Talk given at a conference Persistent spin dynamics in amplitude modulated magnetic ground states 12.11.2014 Škofja Loka, Slovenia Pregelj Matej;
Congress of International Union o f Crystallogarphy 2014 Talk given at a conference Spin-­½ frustrated zig-­zag chain β‐TeVO4 06.08.2014 Montreal, Canada Pregelj Matej; Zaharko Oksana;
HFM 2014 International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism Poster Persistent spin dynamics in amplitude modulated magnetic ground states 07.07.2014 Cambridge, Great Britain and Northern Ireland Pregelj Matej; Zaharko Oksana;
HFM 2014 International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism Poster Local-probe investigations of the re-entrant spin-liquid ground state of the novel kagome antiferromagnet ZnCu3(OH)6SO4 07.07.2014 Cambridge, Great Britain and Northern Ireland Pregelj Matej;
HFM 2014 International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetisim Poster Spin correlations in chromium spinel MgCr2O4 06.07.2014 Cambridge, Great Britain and Northern Ireland Zaharko Oksana; Fennell Tom; Tsurcan Vladimir; Rüegg Christian;
Annual Meeting of Swiss Physical Society Poster Investigation on the low temperature distorted phase of MgCr2O4 30.06.2014 Fribourg, Switzerland Tsurcan Vladimir; Zaharko Oksana; Rüegg Christian;
Workshop 'Magnetic Diffraction from Single Crystals' Talk given at a conference Spin states in frustrated spin ½ ferromagnetic chain β-TeVO4 27.05.2014 Paris, France Zaharko Oksana;


Communication with the public

Communication Title Media Place Year
Talks/events/exhibitions Frustrated spinels International 2017
New media (web, blogs, podcasts, news feeds etc.) Magnetic field dependence of excitations near spin-orbital quantum criticality SINQ Highlight International 2017
New media (web, blogs, podcasts, news feeds etc.) Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc2S4 SINQ highlight International 2017
Media relations: print media, online media interview Physics World International 2016
New media (web, blogs, podcasts, news feeds etc.) Spin liquids show order in chaos FRM2 Highlight International 2016
New media (web, blogs, podcasts, news feeds etc.) Controllable Broadband Absorption in the Mixed Phase of Metamagnets SINQ highlight International 2015
New media (web, blogs, podcasts, news feeds etc.) Spin-stripe phase in a frustrated zigzag spin-1/2 chain ILL highlight International 2015

Awards

Title Year
Best poster prize, International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, PhD. student Shang Gao 2016
Best poster prize, International Conference on Magnetism, PhD. student Shang Gao 2015

Associated projects

Number Title Start Funding scheme
140862 Quantum Frustration in Model Magnets 01.07.2012 Project funding (Div. I-III)
170773 A new high efficiency two-dimensional neutron detector for the cold-neutron diffractometer DMC at SINQ 01.11.2017 R'EQUIP
162626 Frustration in Quantum and Classical Magnets 01.12.2015 Project funding (Div. I-III)
160765 Mott Physics Beyond the Heisenberg Model in Iridates and Related Materials 01.01.2016 Sinergia
182536 New structures and dynamics emerging from frustration 01.12.2018 Project funding (Div. I-III)
157809 A ultralow background magnet for neutron scattering possibilities under extreme conditions at SINQ 01.10.2015 R'EQUIP

Abstract

The project is aimed at the investigation of magnetic frustration effects in transition-metal (TM) and rare-earth (RE) spinels. The TM AB2X4 (A= Fe, Mn; B= Sc, Y; X= S, Se) family is interesting due to the realization of spiral spin- and spin-orbital liquid states. We plan to extend available experimental findings on polycrystalline samples by growing and investigating single crystals. The potential of the RE AB2X4 (A=Cd, Zn; B=Er, Yb; X =S, Se) compounds is at the beginning of its exploration. The first experiments performed on polycrystalline CdEr2Se4 suggest it is the first spin ice outside the rare-earth pyrochlore series. We will grow single crystals of several members of the RE family and investigate them using advanced local-probe and scattering techniques.
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