Professor Stephen Blundell

Abstract:

Muon spin relaxation measurements are reported on three members of the LixMPO4 series. The magnetic properties of stoichiometric samples with M= Ni, Co, Fe were investigated at low temperature. In LiNiPO 4 we observe different forms of the muon decay asymmetry in the commensurate and incommensurate antiferromagnetic phases, accompanied by a change in the temperature dependence of the muon oscillation frequency. In LiCoPO4 the form of the muon decay asymmetry indicates that the correlation between layers decreases as the Néel temperature is approached from below. LiFePO4 shows more conventional behavior, typical for a three-dimensional antiferromagnet. Measurements on Li xFePO4 with x=0.8,0.9, and 1 show evidence for lithium diffusion below ∼250 K and muon diffusion dominating the form of the relaxation at higher temperature. The thermally activated form of the observed hopping rate suggests an activation barrier for lithium diffusion of ∼100 meV and a diffusion constant of DLi∼10-10to10 -9 cm2 s-1 at room temperature. © 2011 American Physical Society.