Magnetic Mysteries of Neodymium: Nanometer-Scale Spin Textures Revealed by SANS
ORAL · Invited
Abstract
The rare earth neodymium exhibits exceedingly complex magnetic order and series of phase transitions. In this talk, we present results from small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field to study magnetic correlations on nanometer length scales in Nd. The SANS measurements reveal a set of new modulation vectors that characterize the ordered spin configuration. These spin textures exhibit changes in magnitude and direction that are phase dependent. Between 5.9 and 7.6 K, the additional modulation vector has a magnitude $Q$ = 0.12 \AA$^{-1}$ and is primarily due to order of the Nd layers which contain a center of inversion. In this region of the phase diagram, the SANS measurements also identify a phase boundary at $\approx$1 T which was not previously seen in thinner samples. An important feature of these modulation vectors is that they indicate the presence of nanometer length scale spin textures which are likely stabilized by frustrated Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interactions.
*This research used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor and Spallation Neutron Source, DOE Office of Science User Facilities operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ().
–
Publication:H. Suriya Arachchige, L.M. DeBeer-Schmitt, L.L. Kish, Binod K. Rai, A.F. May, D.S. Parker, G. Pokhare,Wei Tian, Matthew B. Stone; Matthias Frontzek, D.G. Mandrus, M. Bleuel, Z. Islam, G. Fabbris, H.X. Li ,S. Gao, H. Miao, S.M. Thomas, P.F.S. Rosa, J.D. Thompson, A.D. Christianson, "Nanometric modulations of the magnetic structure of the element Nd", Materials Today Quantum, Vol 4 10016 (2024)
