Observation of additional magnetic modulation vectors in the element Neodymium

ORAL

Abstract

The rare earth element neodymium exhibits a series of complex magnetic phases as a function of temperature and applied magnetic fields. Neodymium crystallizes in a double hexagonal closed packed structure consisting of triangular nets of Nd stacked along the c-axis. Here we report the observation of a new set of magnetic modulation vectors through small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements. While we find distinct modulations occur in different phases, this talk focuses on the modulations occurring for 5.9(1) ≤ T ≤ 7.6(1) K and µ0H ≤ 1.0(1) T for fields applied along the c-axis. Within this phase, the modulation vectors are found to occur at 0.06 a* implying a characteristic length scale of ~52 Å. We discuss the possibility that these additional modulation vectors indicate the presence of frustration driven spin texture in the element Nd.

*This work was supported by U.S. DOE, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s EPiQS Initiative as the funding agencies.

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Presenters

  • Hasitha Suriya Arachchige

    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
    • University of Tennessee - Knoxville
    • Department of Materials Science, The University of Tennessee

Authors

  • Hasitha Suriya Arachchige

    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
    • University of Tennessee - Knoxville
    • Department of Materials Science, The University of Tennessee

  • Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Neutron Scattering Directorate, Oak Ridge Natrional Laboratory
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab

  • Andrew May

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Materials Science & Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA

  • David Parker

    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Materials Science & Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA

  • Markus Bleuel

    • NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology
    • Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
    • NIST

  • Ganesh Pokharel

    • Department of Physics, University of Tennessee Knoxville
    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
    • University of Tennessee - Knoxville

  • Binod K Rai

    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
    • Oak Ridge National Lab

  • Joseph Paddison

    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Materials Science & Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Wei Tian

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
    • Oak Ridge National Lab

  • Masaaki Matsuda

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA

  • Yaohua Liu

    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • David George Mandrus

    • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Labratory
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee
    • University of Tennessee
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville
    • Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
    • Oakridge National Laboratory
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • University of Tennessee - Knoxville
    • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Department of Physics, University of Tennessee Knoxville
    • Materials Science and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Materials Science and Technology Division
    • Department of Materials Science, The University of Tennessee
    • University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • Cristian Batista

    • University of Tennessee
    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee
    • Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee
    • Oakridge National Laboratory
    • Department of Physics and astronomy, University of Tennessee
    • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • Andrew Christianson

    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Materials Science & Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory