Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling

Q. Cui; J. G. Cheng; W. Fan; A. E. Taylor; S. Calder; M. A. McGuire; J. Q. Yan; D. Meyers; X. Li; Y. Q. Cai; Y. Y. Jiao; Y. Choi; D. Haskel; H. Gotou; Y. Uwatoko; J. Chakhalian; A. D. Christianson; S. Yunoki; J. B. Goodenough; J. S. Zhou

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603

Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling

Q. Cui, J. G. Cheng, W. Fan, A. E. Taylor, S. Calder, M. A. McGuire, J. Q. Yan, D. Meyers, X. Li, Y. Q. Cai, Y. Y. Jiao, Y. Choi, D. Haskel, H. Gotou, Y. Uwatoko, J. Chakhalian, A. D. Christianson, S. Yunoki, J. B. Goodenough, J. S. Zhou

School of Arts and Sciences, Physics & Astronomy

Rutgers, The State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

The perovskite SrIrO3 is an exotic narrow-band metal owing to a confluence of the strengths of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and the electron-electron correlations. It has been proposed that topological and magnetic insulating phases can be achieved by tuning the SOC, Hubbard interactions, and/or lattice symmetry. Here, we report that the substitution of nonmagnetic, isovalent Sn4+ for Ir4+ in the SrIr1-xSnxO3 perovskites synthesized under high pressure leads to a metal-insulator transition to an antiferromagnetic (AF) phase at TN≥225 K. The continuous change of the cell volume as detected by x-ray diffraction and the λ-shape transition of the specific heat on cooling through TN demonstrate that the metal-insulator transition is of second order. Neutron powder diffraction results indicate that the Sn substitution enlarges an octahedral-site distortion that reduces the SOC relative to the spin-spin exchange interaction and results in the type-G AF spin ordering below TN. Measurement of high-temperature magnetic susceptibility shows the evolution of magnetic coupling in the paramagnetic phase typical of weak itinerant-electron magnetism in the Sn-substituted samples. A reduced structural symmetry in the magnetically ordered phase leads to an electron gap opening at the Brillouin zone boundary below TN in the same way as proposed by Slater.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	176603
Journal	Physical review letters
Volume	117
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603
State	Published - Oct 20 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603

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Cui, Q., Cheng, J. G., Fan, W., Taylor, A. E., Calder, S., McGuire, M. A., Yan, J. Q., Meyers, D., Li, X., Cai, Y. Q., Jiao, Y. Y., Choi, Y., Haskel, D., Gotou, H., Uwatoko, Y., Chakhalian, J., Christianson, A. D., Yunoki, S., Goodenough, J. B., & Zhou, J. S. (2016). Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling. Physical review letters, 117(17), Article 176603. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603

@article{6604f3ebba1e4feb9030cf0be3370ad7,

title = "Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling",

abstract = "The perovskite SrIrO3 is an exotic narrow-band metal owing to a confluence of the strengths of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and the electron-electron correlations. It has been proposed that topological and magnetic insulating phases can be achieved by tuning the SOC, Hubbard interactions, and/or lattice symmetry. Here, we report that the substitution of nonmagnetic, isovalent Sn4+ for Ir4+ in the SrIr1-xSnxO3 perovskites synthesized under high pressure leads to a metal-insulator transition to an antiferromagnetic (AF) phase at TN≥225 K. The continuous change of the cell volume as detected by x-ray diffraction and the λ-shape transition of the specific heat on cooling through TN demonstrate that the metal-insulator transition is of second order. Neutron powder diffraction results indicate that the Sn substitution enlarges an octahedral-site distortion that reduces the SOC relative to the spin-spin exchange interaction and results in the type-G AF spin ordering below TN. Measurement of high-temperature magnetic susceptibility shows the evolution of magnetic coupling in the paramagnetic phase typical of weak itinerant-electron magnetism in the Sn-substituted samples. A reduced structural symmetry in the magnetically ordered phase leads to an electron gap opening at the Brillouin zone boundary below TN in the same way as proposed by Slater.",

author = "Q. Cui and Cheng, {J. G.} and W. Fan and Taylor, {A. E.} and S. Calder and McGuire, {M. A.} and Yan, {J. Q.} and D. Meyers and X. Li and Cai, {Y. Q.} and Jiao, {Y. Y.} and Y. Choi and D. Haskel and H. Gotou and Y. Uwatoko and J. Chakhalian and Christianson, {A. D.} and S. Yunoki and Goodenough, {J. B.} and Zhou, {J. S.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 American Physical Society.",

year = "2016",

month = oct,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "117",

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issn = "0031-9007",

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Cui, Q, Cheng, JG, Fan, W, Taylor, AE, Calder, S, McGuire, MA, Yan, JQ, Meyers, D, Li, X, Cai, YQ, Jiao, YY, Choi, Y, Haskel, D, Gotou, H, Uwatoko, Y, Chakhalian, J, Christianson, AD, Yunoki, S, Goodenough, JB & Zhou, JS 2016, 'Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling', Physical review letters, vol. 117, no. 17, 176603. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603

TY - JOUR

T1 - Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling

AU - Cui, Q.

AU - Cheng, J. G.

AU - Fan, W.

AU - Taylor, A. E.

AU - Calder, S.

AU - McGuire, M. A.

AU - Yan, J. Q.

AU - Meyers, D.

AU - Li, X.

AU - Cai, Y. Q.

AU - Jiao, Y. Y.

AU - Choi, Y.

AU - Haskel, D.

AU - Gotou, H.

AU - Uwatoko, Y.

AU - Chakhalian, J.

AU - Christianson, A. D.

AU - Yunoki, S.

AU - Goodenough, J. B.

AU - Zhou, J. S.

PY - 2016/10/20

Y1 - 2016/10/20

N2 - The perovskite SrIrO3 is an exotic narrow-band metal owing to a confluence of the strengths of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and the electron-electron correlations. It has been proposed that topological and magnetic insulating phases can be achieved by tuning the SOC, Hubbard interactions, and/or lattice symmetry. Here, we report that the substitution of nonmagnetic, isovalent Sn4+ for Ir4+ in the SrIr1-xSnxO3 perovskites synthesized under high pressure leads to a metal-insulator transition to an antiferromagnetic (AF) phase at TN≥225 K. The continuous change of the cell volume as detected by x-ray diffraction and the λ-shape transition of the specific heat on cooling through TN demonstrate that the metal-insulator transition is of second order. Neutron powder diffraction results indicate that the Sn substitution enlarges an octahedral-site distortion that reduces the SOC relative to the spin-spin exchange interaction and results in the type-G AF spin ordering below TN. Measurement of high-temperature magnetic susceptibility shows the evolution of magnetic coupling in the paramagnetic phase typical of weak itinerant-electron magnetism in the Sn-substituted samples. A reduced structural symmetry in the magnetically ordered phase leads to an electron gap opening at the Brillouin zone boundary below TN in the same way as proposed by Slater.

AB - The perovskite SrIrO3 is an exotic narrow-band metal owing to a confluence of the strengths of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and the electron-electron correlations. It has been proposed that topological and magnetic insulating phases can be achieved by tuning the SOC, Hubbard interactions, and/or lattice symmetry. Here, we report that the substitution of nonmagnetic, isovalent Sn4+ for Ir4+ in the SrIr1-xSnxO3 perovskites synthesized under high pressure leads to a metal-insulator transition to an antiferromagnetic (AF) phase at TN≥225 K. The continuous change of the cell volume as detected by x-ray diffraction and the λ-shape transition of the specific heat on cooling through TN demonstrate that the metal-insulator transition is of second order. Neutron powder diffraction results indicate that the Sn substitution enlarges an octahedral-site distortion that reduces the SOC relative to the spin-spin exchange interaction and results in the type-G AF spin ordering below TN. Measurement of high-temperature magnetic susceptibility shows the evolution of magnetic coupling in the paramagnetic phase typical of weak itinerant-electron magnetism in the Sn-substituted samples. A reduced structural symmetry in the magnetically ordered phase leads to an electron gap opening at the Brillouin zone boundary below TN in the same way as proposed by Slater.

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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.176603

M3 - Article

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 117

JO - Physical review letters

JF - Physical review letters

IS - 17

M1 - 176603

ER -

Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling

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