TY - JOUR
T1 - Decoupling of the antiferromagnetic and insulating states in Tb-doped S r2Ir O4
AU - Wang, J. C.
AU - Aswartham, S.
AU - Ye, Feng
AU - Terzic, J.
AU - Zheng, H.
AU - Haskel, Daniel
AU - Chikara, Shalinee
AU - Choi, Yong
AU - Schlottmann, P.
AU - Custelcean, Radu
AU - Yuan, S. J.
AU - Cao, G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 American Physical Society.
PY - 2015/12/8
Y1 - 2015/12/8
N2 - Sr2IrO4 is a spin-orbit-coupled insulator with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at TN=240K. We report results of a comprehensive study of single-crystal Sr2Ir1-xTbxO4(0≤x≤0.03). This study found that a mere 3% (x=0.03) of tetravalent Tb4+(4f7) substituting for Ir4+ (rather than Sr2+) completely suppresses the long-range collinear AFM transition but retains the insulating state, leading to a phase diagram featuring a decoupling of the magnetic interactions and charge gap. The insulating state at x=0.03 is characterized by an unusually large specific heat at low temperatures and an incommensurate magnetic state having magnetic peaks at (0.95,0,0) and (0,0.95,0) in the neutron diffraction, suggesting a spiral or spin-density-wave order. It is apparent that Tb doping effectively changes the relative strength of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and the tetragonal crystal electric field and enhances the Hund's rule coupling that competes with the SOI, and destabilizes the AFM state. However, the disappearance of the AFM is accompanied by no metallic state chiefly because an energy level mismatch for the Ir and Tb sites weakens charge carrier hopping and causes a persistent insulating state. This work highlights an unconventional correlation between the AFM and insulating states in which the magnetic transition plays no critical role in the formation of the charge gap in the iridate.
AB - Sr2IrO4 is a spin-orbit-coupled insulator with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at TN=240K. We report results of a comprehensive study of single-crystal Sr2Ir1-xTbxO4(0≤x≤0.03). This study found that a mere 3% (x=0.03) of tetravalent Tb4+(4f7) substituting for Ir4+ (rather than Sr2+) completely suppresses the long-range collinear AFM transition but retains the insulating state, leading to a phase diagram featuring a decoupling of the magnetic interactions and charge gap. The insulating state at x=0.03 is characterized by an unusually large specific heat at low temperatures and an incommensurate magnetic state having magnetic peaks at (0.95,0,0) and (0,0.95,0) in the neutron diffraction, suggesting a spiral or spin-density-wave order. It is apparent that Tb doping effectively changes the relative strength of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and the tetragonal crystal electric field and enhances the Hund's rule coupling that competes with the SOI, and destabilizes the AFM state. However, the disappearance of the AFM is accompanied by no metallic state chiefly because an energy level mismatch for the Ir and Tb sites weakens charge carrier hopping and causes a persistent insulating state. This work highlights an unconventional correlation between the AFM and insulating states in which the magnetic transition plays no critical role in the formation of the charge gap in the iridate.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84950336487&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.92.214411
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.92.214411
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84950336487
SN - 1098-0121
VL - 92
JO - Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
JF - Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
IS - 21
M1 - 214411
ER -