Professor Stephen Blundell

Abstract:

Recently, ferromagnetism has been observed in a family of organic molecular crystals based on the nitronyl nitroxide radical group. We report zero-field μSR measurements on compressed powder samples of the organic magnets p-NPNN and 3-QNNN which have been used to directly probe the temperature dependence of the spontaneous field and the relaxation rate in each system. In p-NPNN, we observe a temperature dependence of the spontaneous field which is very similar to that seen in an aligned single crystal experiment and yield the same Curie temperature (TC = 670 mK). However, the oscillations in the measured signal are very strongly damped, particularly so just below the transition temperature. In 3-QNNN, the oscillations indicate a lower spontaneous field and a smaller Curie temperature (TC = 210 mK). © 1995.

Abstract:

Angle dependent magnetoresistance oscillations (AMRO) have been studied in the charge transfer salt α-(ET)2KHg(SCN)4 for magnetic fields in the range 0 - 30 T. This salt exhibits the onset of antiferromagnetic order at temperatures TN ∼8-10 K and the presence below this temperature of a region of sharp negative magnetoresistance at a field around 22 T known as the "kink". AMRO have been measured in this salt for a wide range of applied fields since the period, amplitude, and nature of the oscillations can be used to directly infer the character of the Fermi surface (FS) as a function of field. The data indicate that a profound change in the band structure occurs at this kink transition; the high field phase is characterised by quasi-2D oscillations from a closed cylindrical FS which is elongated in the c direction; the low field phase appears to be a spin density wave groundstate, with a FS consisting of a sheet (which is quasi-1D in character and tilted at an angle of ∼21° to the b*c plane) and small closed 2D pockets. It is suggested that the breakdown orbits between the pockets and the 1D sheets are able to account for the various Shubnikov-de Haas frequencies observed below the kink. © 1995.

Abstract:

Angle dependent magnetoresistance oscillations (AMRO) have been studied in the charge transfer salt α-(ET)2KHg(SCN)4 for magnetic fields in the range 0 - 30 T. This salt exhibits the onset of antiferromagnetic order at temperatures TN ∼8-10 K and the presence below this temperature of a region of sharp negative magnetoresistance at a field around 22 T known as the "kink". AMRO have been measured in this salt for a wide range of applied fields since the period, amplitude, and nature of the oscillations can be used to directly infer the character of the Fermi surface (FS) as a function of field. The data indicate that a profound change in the band structure occurs at this kink transition; the high field phase is characterised by quasi-2D oscillations from a closed cylindrical FS which is elongated in the c direction; the low field phase appears to be a spin density wave groundstate, with a FS consisting of a sheet (which is quasi-1D in character and tilted at an angle of ∼21° to the b*c plane) and small closed 2D pockets. It is suggested that the breakdown orbits between the pockets and the 1D sheets are able to account for the various Shubnikov-de Haas frequencies observed below the kink. © 1995.

Abstract:

Muon techniques have been used to study the spill excitations in polyaniline. The relaxation rate provides information about the spin dynamics. 1D spin diffusion is observed at low temperature in non-metallic materials with a crossover to 2 or 3D behaviour at higher temperature. In metallic polyaniline, in contrast to the undoped cases, the relaxation is rapidly quenched by field at all temperatures. Static and dynamic terms in the relaxation can be separated. The dynamic term shows a high field cutoff which occurs around 25 G at 20 K. This relaxation behaviour indicates a broad spectrum of spin fluctuations concentrated at frequencies in the region below 0.3 MHz. This is a frequency region that is somewhat lower than previously studied by other probes of spin dynamics.

Abstract:

Muon techniques have been used to study the spin excitations in polyaniline. The relaxation rate provides information about the spin dynamics: ID spin diffusion is observed at low temperature in non-metallic materials with a crossover to 2 or 3D behaviour at higher temperature. In the metallic polyaniline, in contrast to the undoped cases, the relaxation is rapidly quenched by field at all temperatures. Static and dynamic terms in the relaxation can be separated. The dynamic term shows a high field cutoff which occurs around 25 G at 20 K. This relaxation behaviour indicates a broad spectrum of spin fluctuations concentrated at frequencies in the region below 0.3 MHz. This is a frequency region that is somewhat lower than previously studied by other probes of spin dynamics. © 1995.