Self-strain-induced fragmentation of Z<sub>8</sub> vortex domains in (Nd,Tb,Sr)<sub>3</sub>Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub>

ORAL

Abstract

(Nd,Tb,Sr)3Fe2O7 crystals, n=2 Ruddlesden-Popper ferrite, exhibit dense networks of topological defects (eight-state vortex-antivortex pairs), associated with four oxygen octahedral tilts at domains and another four different oxygen octahedral tilts at domain walls. Here, utilizing dark-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we show experimentally that the formation of eight-state vortex domains follows a universal behavior captured within the Kibble-Zurek scaling mechanism. In addition, a self-strain-induced fragmentation of such vortex domains occurs when long-range ferroelastic couplings become dominant. We develop a complete picture of the topological defect evolution through 1st-order and 2nd-order phase transitions, affecting significantly the condensation of topological defect types. How the resulting microscopic domain structures influence macroscopically phenomena will also be discussed.

*The work at Rutgers is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s EPiQS Initiative through Grant GBMF4413 to the Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and the crystal growth at Rutgers was supported by the NSF MRI Grant No. MRI-1532006.

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Presenters

  • Fei-Ting Huang

    • Rutgers University
    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

Authors

  • Fei-Ting Huang

    • Rutgers University
    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Yanbin Li

    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Lunyong Zhang

    • Max Planck POSTETH, Pohang University of Science and Technology
    • Korea Research Initiative
    • Laboratory for Pohang Emergent Materials and Max Plank POSTECH Center for Complex Phase Materials, Pohang University of Science and Technology

  • Jae Wook Kim

    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Yazhong Wang

    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Kai Du

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Sang-Wook Cheong

    • Rutgers University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
    • Physics, Rutgers University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
    • Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers Univ.
    • Rutgers Univ
    • Physics, Rutgers Univesity
    • Department of Physics, Rutgers University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials
    • Department of Physics & Astronomy , Rutgers University