Coupled spin dynamics and ab initio molecular dynamics approach for paramagnetic materials

ORAL

Abstract

Magnetic semiconductors like YMnO3[1] and CrN [2] show an anomalous temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity in their paramagnetic phase: A strong suppression is observed right above the magnetic transition, followed by an almost constant conductivity at higher temperatures.

At high temperature lattice vibrations and spin fluctuations occur simultaneously. As local effective moments still exist above the magnetic transition temperature, they interact with each other and with the lattice vibrations.

By treating both lattice vibrations and spin fluctuations in a combined atomistic spin dynamics (ASD) – ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) approach, we are able to ascribe this experimentally observed effect to a mutual and dynamic spin-lattice coupling [3]. This coupling shows a strong influence on the phonon life times right above the magnetic transition.

[1] Sharma et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 177202 (2004).
[2] Jankovský et al., J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 34, 4131 (2014).
[3] Stockem et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 125902 (2018).

Presenters

  • Irina Stockem

    • Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University

Authors

  • Irina Stockem

    • Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
  • Anders Bergman

    • Uppsala University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Materials Theory Division, Uppsala University
  • Albert Glensk

    • Laboratory of Computational Science and Modeling, Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
  • Blazej Grabowski

    • Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH
  • Fritz Körmann

    • Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH
  • Tilmann Hickel

    • Max Planck Institute for Iron Research GmbH
    • Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH
  • Jörg Neugebauer

    • Max Planck Institute for Iron Research GmbH
    • Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH
  • Bjorn Alling

    • Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University
    • Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University