Realization of the axial next-nearest-neighbor Ising model in U3Al2Ge3

David M. Fobes, Shi Zeng Lin, Nirmal J. Ghimire, Eric D. Bauer, Joe D. Thompson, Markus Bleuel, Lisa M. Debeer-Schmitt, Marc Janoschek

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Abstract

Here we report small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements and theoretical modeling of U3Al2Ge3. Analysis of the SANS data reveals a phase transition to sinusoidally modulated magnetic order at TN=63 K to be second order and a first-order phase transition to ferromagnetic order at Tc=48 K. Within the sinusoidally modulated magnetic phase (Tc<T<TN), we uncover a dramatic change, by a factor of 3, in the ordering wave vector as a function of temperature. These observations all indicate that U3Al2Ge3 is a close realization of the three-dimensional axial next-nearest-neighbor Ising model, a prototypical framework for describing commensurate to incommensurate phase transitions in frustrated magnets.

Original languageEnglish
Article number174413
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume96
Issue number17
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 9 2017

Funding

Research at LANL was supported by the LANL Directed Research and Development program (neutron scattering) and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, under the project “Complex Electronic Materials” (material synthesis and characterization). 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. Access to the polarized NG7SANS was provided by the Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering, a partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation under Agreement No. DMR-1508249. We thank C. Gagnon and J. Krzywon for technical support during the NG7SANS measurements. Data reduction and analysis were performed with the use of the grasp and neutronpy neutron scattering analysis software packages.

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