Neutron scattering study of correlated phase behavior in Sr ₂IrO₄

TY - JOUR

T1 - Neutron scattering study of correlated phase behavior in Sr 2IrO4

AU - Dhital, Chetan

AU - Hogan, Tom

AU - Yamani, Z.

AU - De La Cruz, Clarina

AU - Chen, Xiang

AU - Ren, Zhensong

AU - Wilson, Stephen D.

PY - 2013/4/8

Y1 - 2013/4/8

N2 - Neutron diffraction measurements exploring the magnetic and structural phase behaviors of the candidate Jeff=1/2 Mott insulating iridate Sr2IrO4 are presented. Comparisons are drawn between the correlated magnetism in this single-layer system and its bilayer analog Sr 3Ir2O7, where both materials exhibit magnetic domains originating from crystallographic twinning and comparable moment sizes. Weakly temperature-dependent superlattice peaks violating the reported tetragonal space group of Sr2IrO4 are observed, supporting the notion of a lower structural symmetry arising from a high-temperature lattice distortion, and we use this to argue that moments orient along a unique in-plane axis demonstrating an orthorhombic symmetry in the resulting spin structure. Our results demonstrate that the correlated spin order and structural phase behaviors in both single-layer and bilayer Srn+1Ir nO3n+1 systems are remarkably similar and suggest comparable correlation strengths in each system.

AB - Neutron diffraction measurements exploring the magnetic and structural phase behaviors of the candidate Jeff=1/2 Mott insulating iridate Sr2IrO4 are presented. Comparisons are drawn between the correlated magnetism in this single-layer system and its bilayer analog Sr 3Ir2O7, where both materials exhibit magnetic domains originating from crystallographic twinning and comparable moment sizes. Weakly temperature-dependent superlattice peaks violating the reported tetragonal space group of Sr2IrO4 are observed, supporting the notion of a lower structural symmetry arising from a high-temperature lattice distortion, and we use this to argue that moments orient along a unique in-plane axis demonstrating an orthorhombic symmetry in the resulting spin structure. Our results demonstrate that the correlated spin order and structural phase behaviors in both single-layer and bilayer Srn+1Ir nO3n+1 systems are remarkably similar and suggest comparable correlation strengths in each system.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84876175423

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84876175423#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.144405

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.144405

M3 - Article

SN - 1098-0121

VL - 87

JO - Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

JF - Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

IS - 14

M1 - 144405

ER -