Pressure-induced crystallization of a spin liquid

I. Mirebeau; I. N. Goncharenko; P. Cadavez-Peres; S. T. Bramwell; M. J.P. Gingras; J. S. Gardner

doi:10.1038/nature01157

Pressure-induced crystallization of a spin liquid

I. Mirebeau, I. N. Goncharenko, P. Cadavez-Peres, S. T. Bramwell, M. J.P. Gingras, J. S. Gardner

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

165 Scopus citations

Abstract

Liquids are expected to crystallize at low temperature. The only exception is helium, which can remain liquid at 0 K, owing to quantum fluctuations^{1, 2}. Similarly, the atomic magnetic moments (spins) in a magnet are expected to order at a temperature scale set by the Curie-Weiss temperature θ_CW(ref. 3). Geometrically frustrated magnets represent an exception. In these systems, the pairwise spin interactions cannot be simultaneously minimized because of the lattice symmetry⁴. This can stabilize a liquid-like state of short-range-ordered fluctuating moments well below θ_CW(refs 5-7). Here we use neutron scattering to observe the spin liquid state in a geometrically frustrated system, Tb₂Ti₂O₇, under conditions of high pressure (∼9 GPa) and low temperature (∼ 1 K). This compound is a three-dimensional magnet with θ_CW= - 19 K, where the negative value indicates antiferromagnetic interactions. At ambient pressure Tb₂Ti₂O₇remains in a spin liquid state down to at least 70 mK (ref. 8). But we find that, under high pressure, the spins start to order or 'crystallize' below 2.1 K, with antiferromagnetic order coexisting with liquid-like fluctuations. These results indicate that a spin liquid/solid mixture can be induced by pressure in geometrically frustrated systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	54-57
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature
Volume	420
Issue number	6911
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01157
State	Published - Nov 7 2002
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Acknowledgements This work is based on observations obtained with the XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA member states and the USA (NASA). We thank E. Behar for supplying us with results from his atomic-structure calculations of the He-like Fe ion, and M. Sako for the use of his absorption spectral code. Acknowledgements We thank J. Rodríguez-Carvajal for help in the structural analysis, and J. Hodges for discussions. P.C.-P. was supported by Fundac¸ão para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal; M.G. was supported by NSERC of Canada, the Province of Ontario and Research Corporation.

Funders	Funder number
Province of Ontario and Research Corporation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
European Space Agency

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title = "Pressure-induced crystallization of a spin liquid",

abstract = "Liquids are expected to crystallize at low temperature. The only exception is helium, which can remain liquid at 0 K, owing to quantum fluctuations1, 2. Similarly, the atomic magnetic moments (spins) in a magnet are expected to order at a temperature scale set by the Curie-Weiss temperature θCW(ref. 3). Geometrically frustrated magnets represent an exception. In these systems, the pairwise spin interactions cannot be simultaneously minimized because of the lattice symmetry4. This can stabilize a liquid-like state of short-range-ordered fluctuating moments well below θCW(refs 5-7). Here we use neutron scattering to observe the spin liquid state in a geometrically frustrated system, Tb2Ti2O7, under conditions of high pressure (∼9 GPa) and low temperature (∼ 1 K). This compound is a three-dimensional magnet with θCW= - 19 K, where the negative value indicates antiferromagnetic interactions. At ambient pressure Tb2Ti2O7remains in a spin liquid state down to at least 70 mK (ref. 8). But we find that, under high pressure, the spins start to order or 'crystallize' below 2.1 K, with antiferromagnetic order coexisting with liquid-like fluctuations. These results indicate that a spin liquid/solid mixture can be induced by pressure in geometrically frustrated systems.",

author = "I. Mirebeau and Goncharenko, {I. N.} and P. Cadavez-Peres and Bramwell, {S. T.} and Gingras, {M. J.P.} and Gardner, {J. S.}",

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AU - Mirebeau, I.

AU - Goncharenko, I. N.

AU - Cadavez-Peres, P.

AU - Bramwell, S. T.

AU - Gingras, M. J.P.

AU - Gardner, J. S.

PY - 2002/11/7

Y1 - 2002/11/7

N2 - Liquids are expected to crystallize at low temperature. The only exception is helium, which can remain liquid at 0 K, owing to quantum fluctuations1, 2. Similarly, the atomic magnetic moments (spins) in a magnet are expected to order at a temperature scale set by the Curie-Weiss temperature θCW(ref. 3). Geometrically frustrated magnets represent an exception. In these systems, the pairwise spin interactions cannot be simultaneously minimized because of the lattice symmetry4. This can stabilize a liquid-like state of short-range-ordered fluctuating moments well below θCW(refs 5-7). Here we use neutron scattering to observe the spin liquid state in a geometrically frustrated system, Tb2Ti2O7, under conditions of high pressure (∼9 GPa) and low temperature (∼ 1 K). This compound is a three-dimensional magnet with θCW= - 19 K, where the negative value indicates antiferromagnetic interactions. At ambient pressure Tb2Ti2O7remains in a spin liquid state down to at least 70 mK (ref. 8). But we find that, under high pressure, the spins start to order or 'crystallize' below 2.1 K, with antiferromagnetic order coexisting with liquid-like fluctuations. These results indicate that a spin liquid/solid mixture can be induced by pressure in geometrically frustrated systems.

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Pressure-induced crystallization of a spin liquid

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