arXiv · 1603.08033
Antiferromagnetic and Orbital Ordering on a Diamond Lattice Near Quantum Criticality
Abstract
We present neutron scattering measurements on powder samples of the spinel FeSc2S4 that reveal a previously unobserved magnetic ordering transition occurring at 11.8(2)~K. Magnetic ordering occurs subsequent to a subtle cubic-to-tetragonal structural transition which distorts Fe coordinating sulfur tetrahedra lifting the orbital degeneracy. The application of 1~GPa hydrostatic pressure appears to destabilize this Néel state, reducing the transition temperature to 8.6(8)~K and redistributing magnetic spectral weight to higher energies. The relative magnitudes of ordered $\langle m \rangle^2\!=\!3.1(2)$ and fluctuating moments $\langle δm \rangle^2\!=\!13(1)$ show that the magnetically ordered ground state of FeSc2S4 is drastically renormalized and in proximity to criticality.
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K. W. Plumb, Jennifer Morey, J. A. Rodriguez-Rivera, Hui Wu, A. A. Podlesnyak, T. M. McQueen, C. L. Broholm. 2016-03-25. Antiferromagnetic and Orbital Ordering on a Diamond Lattice Near Quantum Criticality. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevx.6.041055
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