Nature of the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition in Y1-xLaxTi O3

S. Hameed, S. El-Khatib, K. P. Olson, B. Yu, T. J. Williams, T. Hong, Q. Sheng, K. Yamakawa, J. Zang, Y. J. Uemura, G. Q. Zhao, C. Q. Jin, L. Fu, Y. Gu, F. Ning, Y. Cai, K. M. Kojima, J. W. Freeland, M. Matsuda, C. LeightonM. Greven

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

We explore the magnetically ordered ground state of the isovalently substituted Mott insulator Y1-xLaxTiO3 for x≤ 0.3 via single-crystal growth, magnetometry, neutron diffraction, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, muon spin rotation, and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). We find that the decrease in the magnetic transition temperature on approaching the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase boundary at the La concentration xc≈0.3 is accompanied by a strong suppression of both bulk and local ordered magnetic moments, along with a volumewise separation into magnetically ordered and paramagnetic regions. The thermal phase transition does not show conventional second-order behavior since neither a clear signature of dynamic critical behavior nor a power-law divergence of the magnetic correlation length is found for the studied substitution range; this finding becomes increasingly obvious with increasing La substitution. We find no evidence for a spin-glass phase. Finally, from SANS and magnetometry measurements, we discern a crossover from easy-axis to easy-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy with increasing La substitution. These results indicate complex changes in magnetic structure upon approaching the phase boundary.

Original languageEnglish
Article number024410
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume104
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2021

Funding

We thank D. Pelc for help with AC susceptibility measurements. The work at University of Minnesota was funded by the Department of Energy through the University of Minnesota Center for Quantum Materials, under Grant No. DE-SC0016371. Parts of this work were carried out in the Characterization Facility, University of Minnesota, which receives partial support from NSF through the MRSEC program. Electron microprobe analyses of the crystal chemical composition were carried out at the Electron Microprobe Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. A portion of this research used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We acknowledge the support of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, in providing the neutron research facilities used in this work. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. S. El-Khatib acknowledges travel support from AUS (Grant No. FRG17-T-06). Work at Columbia University was supported by U.S. NSF DMR-1610633, the Reimei Project from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, and Friends of U Tokyo, Inc.

FundersFunder number
Friends of U Tokyo, Inc.
University of Minnesota Center for Quantum MaterialsDE-SC0016371
National Science Foundation
U.S. Department of Energy
National Institute of Standards and Technology
U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of Science
Argonne National LaboratoryDE-AC02-06CH11357
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
American University of SharjahDMR-1610633, FRG17-T-06
Japan Atomic Energy Agency

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