Anisotropic Exchange within Decoupled Tetrahedra in the Quantum Breathing Pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5 O11

J. G. Rau; L. S. Wu; A. F. May; L. Poudel; B. Winn; V. O. Garlea; A. Huq; P. Whitfield; A. E. Taylor; M. D. Lumsden; M. J.P. Gingras; A. D. Christianson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.257204

Anisotropic Exchange within Decoupled Tetrahedra in the Quantum Breathing Pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5 O11

J. G. Rau, L. S. Wu, A. F. May, L. Poudel, B. Winn, V. O. Garlea, A. Huq, P. Whitfield, A. E. Taylor, M. D. Lumsden, M. J.P. Gingras, A. D. Christianson

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Abstract

The low energy spin excitation spectrum of the breathing pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5O11 has been investigated with inelastic neutron scattering. Several nearly resolution limited modes with no observable dispersion are observed at 250 mK while, at elevated temperatures, transitions between excited levels become visible. To gain deeper insight, a theoretical model of isolated Yb3+ tetrahedra parametrized by four anisotropic exchange constants is constructed. The model reproduces the inelastic neutron scattering data, specific heat, and magnetic susceptibility with high fidelity. The fitted exchange parameters reveal a Heisenberg antiferromagnet with a very large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Using this model, we predict the appearance of an unusual octupolar paramagnet at low temperatures and speculate on the development of intertetrahedron correlations.

Original language	English
Article number	257204
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	116
Issue number	25
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.257204
State	Published - Jun 24 2016

Funding

A.F.M. was supported by the U.S. DOE, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. L.S.W. was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of ORNL, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. DOE. The work at the University of Waterloo was supported by the NSERC of Canada, the Canada Research Chair program (M.J.P.G., Tier 1), the Canadian Foundation for Advanced Research and the Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics.

Funders	Funder number
Canadian Foundation for Advanced Research
ORNL Laboratory Research and Development Program
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences
Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Canada Research Chairs

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.257204

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Rau, J. G., Wu, L. S., May, A. F., Poudel, L., Winn, B., Garlea, V. O., Huq, A., Whitfield, P., Taylor, A. E., Lumsden, M. D., Gingras, M. J. P., & Christianson, A. D. (2016). Anisotropic Exchange within Decoupled Tetrahedra in the Quantum Breathing Pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5 O11. Physical Review Letters, 116(25), Article 257204. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.257204

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title = "Anisotropic Exchange within Decoupled Tetrahedra in the Quantum Breathing Pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5 O11",

abstract = "The low energy spin excitation spectrum of the breathing pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5O11 has been investigated with inelastic neutron scattering. Several nearly resolution limited modes with no observable dispersion are observed at 250 mK while, at elevated temperatures, transitions between excited levels become visible. To gain deeper insight, a theoretical model of isolated Yb3+ tetrahedra parametrized by four anisotropic exchange constants is constructed. The model reproduces the inelastic neutron scattering data, specific heat, and magnetic susceptibility with high fidelity. The fitted exchange parameters reveal a Heisenberg antiferromagnet with a very large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Using this model, we predict the appearance of an unusual octupolar paramagnet at low temperatures and speculate on the development of intertetrahedron correlations.",

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AB - The low energy spin excitation spectrum of the breathing pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5O11 has been investigated with inelastic neutron scattering. Several nearly resolution limited modes with no observable dispersion are observed at 250 mK while, at elevated temperatures, transitions between excited levels become visible. To gain deeper insight, a theoretical model of isolated Yb3+ tetrahedra parametrized by four anisotropic exchange constants is constructed. The model reproduces the inelastic neutron scattering data, specific heat, and magnetic susceptibility with high fidelity. The fitted exchange parameters reveal a Heisenberg antiferromagnet with a very large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Using this model, we predict the appearance of an unusual octupolar paramagnet at low temperatures and speculate on the development of intertetrahedron correlations.

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Anisotropic Exchange within Decoupled Tetrahedra in the Quantum Breathing Pyrochlore Ba3Yb2Zn5 O11

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