Order and disorder in the local and long-range structure of the spin-glass pyrochlore, Tb2Mo2O7

Y. U. Jiang, Ashfia Huq, Corwin H. Booth, Georg Ehlers, John E. Greedan, Jason S. Gardner

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9 Scopus citations

Abstract

To understand the origin of the spin-glass state in molybdate pyrochlores, the structure of Tb2Mo2O7 is investigated using two techniques: the long-range lattice structure was measured using neutron powder diffraction, and local structure information was obtained from the extended x-ray absorption fine structure technique. While the long-range structure appears generally well ordered, enhanced mean-squared site displacements on the O(1) site and the lack of temperature dependence of the strongly anisotropic displacement parameters for both the Mo and O(1) sites indicate some disorder exists. Likewise, the local structure measurements indicate some Mo-Mo and Tb-O(1) nearest-neighbor disorder exists, similar to that found in the related spin-glass pyrochlore, Y2Mo 2O7. Although the freezing temperature in Tb 2Mo2O7, 25K, is slightly higher than in Y 2Mo2O7, 22K, the degree of local pair distance disorder is actually less in Tb2Mo2O7. This apparent contradiction is considered in light of the interactions involved in the freezing process.

Original languageEnglish
Article number164214
JournalJournal of Physics Condensed Matter
Volume23
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 27 2011

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