Electronic structure investigation of pyrochlore spin-ice Pr<sub>2</sub>Zr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub>

ORAL

Abstract

Pyrochlore Praseodymium Zirconate Pr2Zr2O7 is a quantum spin-ice material at low temperatures due to its frustrated magnetic lattice. A compositional series of Pr2+xZr2-xO7-x/2 crystals fabricated by four-mirror optical floating zone furnace technique1 were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry and compared to density functional theory (DFT) simulation. Ellipsometry and CL microscopy revealed a band gap of 5.25 eV for the material with a consistent set of mid-gap energy values across the compositional series. FTIR spectroscopy corroborated overlapping energy positions and determined absorption values down to 0.3 eV. Suggested assignments of defects to energy levels measured will be presented based on DFT results.

1Koohpayeh et al, Journal of Crystal Growth 402 291-298 (2014)

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Presenters

  • Zachary T Socha

    • University of Alabama

Authors

  • Zachary T Socha

    • University of Alabama

  • Benjamin Trump

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Brian Hoskins

    • Nanoscale Device Characterization Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Kathryn Arpino

    • Johns Hopkins University

  • Seyed M Koohpayeh

    • Johns Hopkins University

  • Tyrel M McQueen

    • Johns Hopkins University
    • Institute for Quantum Matter, William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University

  • Adam Hauser

    • University of Alabama
    • The University of Alabama