(a) M(H) curves at 2 K measured with PPMS. (b) High-field M(H) curves at 2 K calibrated with PPMS data. (c) The high-field M(H) curve for the easy a axis.
(Phys. Rev. B 97, 144406, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.97.144406)
Background
Low-dimensional and geometrical frustration magnets have become the frontier of condensed matter physics due to non-classical magnetic ordering, novel quantum effects and their correlations with high temperature superconductivity, multiferroic and etc. Among these effects, quantum magnetization plateaus, in which the magnetization is field-independent in a finite field range and its value is a fraction of saturation magnetization, are of particular fascinating.
What we discover?
Here we report an experimental observation of spin-flop transition followed by a wide half magnetization plateau in theS=1 skew-chain system Ni2V2O7. The spin-flop transition and accompanying nematic-like transition cooperatively induce a novel half magnetization plateau. Considering the interchain interactions and geometric frustration, we propose a model of triangular-like tetramer with “up-up-up-down” spin arrangements, which is qualitatively in consistent with our exact diagonalization result. The study of quantized magnetization plateaus in low-dimensional frustrated magnets has aroused continuous interests in past decade. We believe that Ni2V2O7compound is a good candidate material for studying the interchain-coupled spin chain systems and the exotic spin nematic state in quantum magnets.
Why is this important?
For chain-like antiferromagnetic (AFM) systems, the ground state generally corresponds to Néel-type ordering due to interchain coupling so that the quantum magnetization plateau is not expected. For instance, in Cu2A2O7(A= P, As, V), sizable interchain coupling leads to differences of microscopic magnetic model and enforces long-range AFM ordering, which is associated with long-range superexchange. We demonstrate a wide 1/2 magnetization plateau (8-30 T) and nematic-like phase inS=1 skew chain Ni2V2O7, which was not unveiled previously.
Why did they need WHMFC?
Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center provides great technical support during high magnetic field magnetization and high field electronic spin resonance measurements.
Who did the research?
Z.W.Ouyang,1Y.C.Sun,1J.F.Wang,1X.Y.Yue,1R. Chen,1Z.X.Wang,1Z.Z.He,2Z.C.Xia1,Y. Liu,3andG. H.Rao4
1Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center & School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Wuhan430074,P. R. China
2State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, P. R. China
3School ofPhysics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan430072, P. R. China
4School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, P. R. China