Browsing by Author "Reynolds, N"

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    Comparison of the magnetic and crystal field excitations in orthorhombically distorted vanadates and multiferroic manganites
    (Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2012-11-15) Reynolds, N; Rovillain, P; Narayanan, N; Fujioka, F; Tokura, Y; Danilkin, SA; Mulders, AM; McIntyre, GJ; Ulrich, C
    Magnetism and ferroelectricity are both exciting physical properties and are used in everyday life in sensors and data storage. In multiferroic materials both properties coexist. They offer a great potential for future technological applications like the increase of data storage capacity or in novel senor applications. We have performed a comparative inelastic neutron scattering (INS) investigation on a series of vanadates, in particularly TbV0{sub 3} DyV0{sub 3}, PrV0{sub 3}, and CeV0{sub 3}, with their multiferroic Mn-counterparts. The Vanadates are isostructural to the multiferroic materials TbMnO{sub 3} and DyMn0{sub 3}, but posses a collinear antiferromagnetic spin arrangement below TN ≈110 K instead of a cycloidal spin structure below TFE 28 ≈K. By using inelastic neutron scattering we have obtained the spin wave dispersion relation and the crystal field excitations of the V-sublattice and the rare earth ions, respectively. The data will be compared with previously obtained INS data of D. Senff on TbMnO{sub 3} and our INS data on DyMnO{sub 3} with the intention of uncovering information about the complex interplay between the magnetic moments of the rare earth ions its role in the formation of the multiferroic phase.
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    Effects of 18O isotope substitution in multiferroic RMnO3 (R = Tb, Dy)
    (Australian Institute of Physics, 2016-02-05) Graham, PJ; Narayanan, N; McIntyre, GJ; Hutchison, WD; Ulrich, C; Reynolds, N; Rovillain, P; Hester, JR; Kimpton, JA; Yethiraj, M; Pomjakushina, E; Condor, K; Kenzelmann, M
    Multiferroic materials demonstrate desirable attributes for next-generation multifunctional devices as they exhibit coexisting ferroelectric and magnetic orders. In type-II multiferroics, coupling exists that allows ferroelectricity to be manipulated via magnetic order and vice versa, offering potential in high-density information storage and sensor applications. Despite extensive investigations into the subject, questions of the physics of magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroics remain, and competing theories propose different mechanisms. The aim of this investigation was to study changes in the statics and dynamics of structural, ferroelectric and magnetic orders with oxygen-18 isotope substitution to shine light into the coupling mechanism in multiferroic RMnO3 (R=Tb, Dy) systems. We have performed Raman spectroscopy on 16O and 18O-substituted TbMnO3 single crystals. Oxygen-18 isotope substitution reduces all phonon frequencies significantly. However, specific heat measurements determine no changes in Mn3+ (28 and 41 K) magnetic phase transition temperatures. Pronounced anomalies in peak position and linewidth at the magnetic and ferroelectric phase transitions. While the anomalies at the sinusoidal magnetic phase transition (41 K) are in accordance to the theory of spin-phonon coupling, further deviations develop upon entering the ferroelectric phase (28 K). Furthermore, neutron diffraction measurements on 16O and 18O-substituted DyMnO3 powders show structural deviations at the ferroelectric phase transition (17 K) in the order of 100 fm in the b direction. The Pbnm space group is centrosymmetric and therefore does not allow ferroelectricity via atomic displacements, however our Reitveld analysis for the subgroup P21 shows significant displacements and polarisation along b that is comparable to the experimental value, making it the most promising candidate for ionic displacement induced polarisation in DyMnO3. These combined results demonstrate that structure is an important consideration in the emergence of ferroelectricity in these materials.
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    Electromagnons in multiferroics probed by Raman light scattering comparison to neutron scattering investigations
    (Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2012-11-15) Rovillain, P; Graham, PJ; Reynolds, N; Narayanan, N; Gallis, Y; Sacuto, A; Measson, MA; Sakata, H; McIntyre, GJ; Mulders, AM; Ulrich, C; Cazayous, M
    In multiferroic materials the two antagonistic effects, magnetic and ferroelectric orders, exist simultaneously. The switching of these orders is known as magnetoelectric coupling. Thereby, magnetoelectric materials can potentially be used to control spins or electric polarization with the application of an external electric or magnetic field, respectively. This makes them promising candidates for applications in spintronics or magnonics that use magnetic excitations for information processing. BiFe03, is the rare case where both orders coexist at room temperature. Using Raman scattering, we show that in BiFe03 the spin-wave energy can be tuned electrically by over 30%, in a non-volatile way with virtually no power dissipation. In TbMnO3 (and RMn2O5) the coupling of the orders gives rise to a hybrid excitation: the electromagnon. Electromagnons are spin wave excitations which possess an electric dipole. We have identified the magnetic excitation underneath the electromagnon by comparison with neutron measurement and further the phonon mode at the origin of the dipole activity. We have extended our investigations to Raman scattering and inelastic neutron scattering on DyMn03. The combination of both techniques offers the opportunity to obtain more information on the electromagnetic interaction in this type of multiferroic material.
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    Investigations into the magnetic and crystal field excitations of the orthorhombically distorted perovskites TbVO3 and CeVO3
    (Australian Institute of Physics, 2018-01-30) O'Brien, J; Reynolds, N; Rovillain, P; Danilkin, SA; Schmalzl, K; Reehuis, M; Mole, RA; Miyasaka, S; Fujioka, F; Tokura, Y; Keimer, B; McIntyre, GJ; Ulrich, C
    Inelastic neutron scattering experiments have been performed on a series of vanadates, in particular TbVO3 and CeVO3, to categorise the crystal field and magnetic excitations. The vanadates possess a configuration with corner sharing, distorted VO6 octahedra (space group Pbnm) with a collinear C-type antiferromagnetic structure occurring below Néel temperatures of TN = 110 K and 124 K respectively. Data from neutron scattering experiments reveal a hitherto unobserved shift of crystal field excitation energy in TbVO3 and CeVO3. Point-charge model calculations have confirmed this shift by theoretically calculating the crystal field excitation spectrum. We propose that the mechanism behind the effect is the onset of local magnetism caused by the ordering of the vanadium sublattice at the magnetic phase transition. This magnetic exchange field from the vanadium ions polarises the spins of the rare-earth ions located at the centre of the unit cell. This results in a Zeeman-like splitting of crystal field energy levels. As a result, crystal field transition energies demonstrate a linear shift as a function of internal magnetic field strength.
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    Neutron powder diffraction experiments on multiferroic DyMnO 3
    (Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2012-11-15) Narayanan, N; Li, F; Hutchison, WD; Mulders, AM; Reynolds, N; Rovillan, P; Ulrich, C; Hester, JR; McIntyre, GJ
    Multiferroic materials of particular interest are the frustrated magnetic compounds that exhibit a strongly coupled electric polarization (EP). One such compound is DyMnO{sub 3} which exists in an orthorhombic (o-DMO) and hexagonal modification depending on the synthesis conditions. In the present work the o-DMO is investigated by means of neutron powder diffraction focusing on the magnetic phase transitions and the behavior of the structural parameters in different magnetic and multiferroic phases. Below T{sub n,mn} =39 K, the Mn moments order sinusoidally with no EP. Then T{sub l=}16 K the Mn moments order in a spin spiral structure with an induced Dy moment and EP and finally below T{sub N,DY}=9 K a collinear ordering of the Dy moments takes place that reduces the EP significantly. Single phase samples are prepared via the solid state route and neutron diffraction (ND) experiments are carried out at the high flux ND beamline Wombat and at the high resolution ND beamline Echidna at OPAL. 0-DMO crystallizes in the space group Pbnm. All three magnetic phase transitions are identified and are in good agreement with. Below T{sub N,MN} an increased rotation of the rigid Mn06 octahedra in the ab plane, likely due to the competition between nearest neighbour aid next nearest neighbour superexchange interactions takes place. However below T{sub l} the MnO{sub 6} octahedra are significantly distorted along the c axis, the direction of the EP. Therefore the correlation between significant changes in the Mn-O bonds and the spontaneous EP are evident below T{sub l}. The reduction of EP below T{sub N.DY} on the other hand correlates with the rapid increase in the orbital ordering angle towards the 120° corresponding to the 3x{sup 2}-r{sup 2}/3y{sup 2}-r{sup 2} character of the orbitals.
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    Subpicometer-scale atomic displacements and magnetic properties in the oxygen-isotope substituted multiferroic DyMn O3
    (American Physical Society, 2017-02-27) Narayanan, N; Graham, PJ; Reynolds, N; Li, F; Rovillain, P; Hester, JR; Kimpton, JA; Yethiraj, M; McIntyre, GJ; Hutchison, WD; Ulrich, C
    We have investigated DyMn16O3 and its isotopically substituted counterpart DyMn18O3 by neutron powder diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and heat capacity measurements to investigate the mechanism leading to its magnetically induced electric polarization. 18O isotope substitution does not influence the magnetic ordering temperature of the Mn ions TN,Mn or the multiferroic ordering temperature Tl coinciding with the onset of the spin spiral phase; however, it does reduce the ordering temperature of Dy into its incommensurate magnetic state TN,Dy from 7.0(1) K to 5.9(1) K. The temperature dependence of the magnetic propagation vector, qIC, changes with 18O substitution, while Tl remains almost constant, independent of qIC. Pronounced changes in the lattice parameters occur at the various phase transitions. Furthermore, distinct subpicometer-scale distortions of the MnO6 octahedra and displacements of the Dy ions are observed below the ferroelectric phase transition at Tl in both samples, pointing toward the mechanism for electric polarization and its coupling to the orbital degrees of freedom. ©2017 American Physical Society