Elastic properties of the titanate pyrochlore Tb$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$O$_{7}$

ORAL

Abstract

The presence of geometric frustration inhibits the formation of long-range spin ordering in Tb$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$O$_{7}$ even at very low temperatures, making this compound the prototype of a ``spin liquid.'' We have initiated a study of the elastic properties of Tb$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$O$_{7}$ as a function of temperature (0.5-300 K) and magnetic field (0-15T) using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS). All three elastic constants show a pronounced softening below 50 K, indicative of a possible structural transition at very low temperatures. Application of a magnetic field partially suppresses the elastic softening in this compound, suggesting that the magnetoelastic coupling plays a significant role in the spin liquid physics of Tb$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$O$_{7}$ at low temperatures.

*Work supported by NSF-DMR-0804719.

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Authors

  • V. Keppens

    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

  • Y. Luan

    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

  • A. Migliori

    • National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

  • J. Betts

    • National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

  • H.D. Zhou

    • National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL

  • H.A. Dabkowska

    • Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

  • B.D. Gaulin

    • Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON