Tuning Epitaxial Strain in XY Pyrochlore Er2Ti2O7

ORAL

Abstract

Tuning parameters in frustrated magnetism allow us to explore the complex landscape of magnetically fragile ground states. In epitaxial thin film samples, we can study the statespace of eptiaxial strain (caused by the lattice mismatch between substrate and film) and the reduced dimensionailty inherent to a thin film. Thin film works on frustrated titanate pyrochlores have focused on spin ice compounds (Ho2Ti2O7 and Dy2Ti2O7)[1-3] and the unconventional magnetic ground state of Tb2Ti2O7[4]. This study examines the ordered magnetic ground state of Er2Ti2O7. The ground state selection between the Ψ2 and Ψ3 basis states of the Γ5 manifold and the relative stability of Γ5 to Palmer-chalker configurations have been shown to be sensitive to a number of tuning parameters such as magnetic dilution and isovalent non-magnetic substitution. By fabricating films of different thicknesses using pulsed-laser deposition, we tune the epitaxial strain on the magnetic lattice, and examine the subsequent magnetic groundstate through bulk characterization and neutron scattering.

[1] L. Bovo et al., Nat. Communications 5, 3439 (2014)
[2] D. P. Leusink et al., APL Materials 2.3, 032101 (2014)
[3] Barry et al. arXiv:1805.06565 (2018)
[4] L. Bovo et al., Nanotechnology 28.5, 055708 (2016)

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Presenters

  • Connor Buhariwalla

    McMaster University, Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University

Authors

  • Connor Buhariwalla

    McMaster University, Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University

  • Evan Smith

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1, McMaster University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University

  • Jonathan Gaudet

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, Institute for Quantum Matter and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, IQM, Johns Hopkins University

  • Adam Aczel

    Neutron Scattering Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Nat. Lab.

  • Patrick Fournier

    Universite de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada, Université de Sherbrooke

  • Bruce Gaulin

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, McMaster University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1, Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University