Muons and magnets

Abstract:

The substitution of Ga(3+) into the Jahn--Teller distorted, antiferromagnetic perovskites LaMnO(3) and NdMnO(3) strongly affects both the crystal structures and resulting magnetic ordering. In both compounds the Ga(3+) and Mn(3+) cations are disordered over the six coordinate sites. La(2)GaMnO(6) is a ferromagnetic insulator (T(c) = 70 K); a moment per Mn cation of 2.08(5) mu(B) has been determined by neutron powder diffraction at 5 K. Bond length and displacement parameter data suggest Jahn--Teller distortions which are both coherent and incoherent with the Pnma space group symmetry of the perovskite structure (a = 5.51122(4) A, b = 7.80515(6) A, c = 5.52947(4) A) at room temperature. The coherent distortion is strongly suppressed in comparison with the parent LaMnO(3) phase, but the displacement ellipsoids suggest that incoherent distortions are significant and arise from local Jahn--Teller distortions. The preparation of the new phase Nd(2)GaMnO(6) has been found to depend on sample cooling rates, with detailed characterization necessary to ensure phase separation has been avoided. This compound also adopts the GdFeO(3)-type orthorhombically distorted perovskite structure (space group Pnma, a = 5.64876(1) A, b = 7.65212(2) A, c = 5.41943(1) A at room temperature). However, the B site substitution has a totally different effect on the Jahn--Teller distortion at the Mn(3+) centers. This phase exhibits a Q(2) mode Jahn--Teller distortion similar to that observed in LaMnO(3), although reduced in magnitude as a result of the introduction of Ga(3+) onto the B site. There is no evidence of a dynamic Jahn-Teller distortion. At 5 K a ferromagnetically ordered Nd(3+) moment of 1.06(6) mu(B) is aligned along the y-axis and a moment of 2.8(1) mu(B) per Mn(3+) is ordered in the xy plane making an angle of 29(2) degrees with the y-axis. The Mn(3+) moments couple ferromagnetically in the xz plane. However, along the y-axis the moments couple ferromagnetically while the x components are coupled antiferromagnetically. This results in a canted antiferromagnetic arrangement in which the dominant exchange is ferromagnetic. Nd(2)GaMnO(6) is paramagnetic above 40(5) K, with a paramagnetic moment and Weiss constant of 6.70(2) mu(B) and 45.9(4) K, respectively. An ordered moment of 6.08(3) mu(B) per Nd(2)GaMnO(6) formula unit was measured by magnetometry at 5 K in an applied magnetic field of 5 T.

Abstract:

We present the first muon spin rotation/relaxation study of a nematic liquid crystal (5CB). We identify four different positions for muonium addition to this compound by correlating the dominant peaks in the Fourier transform of the muon precession signal obtained in an applied transverse magnetic field. Experiments performed in a longitudinal field are used to probe changes in individual molecular dynamics at the solid-nematic transition. High field avoided level crossing spectroscopy reveals four ΔM=0 transitions which can be fitted using simplified models of collective molecular dynamics appropriate to the solid, nematic, and liquid phases. © 2001 The American Physical Society.

Abstract:

We present the first muon spin rotation/relaxation study of a nematic liquid crystal (5CB). We identify four different positions for muonium addition to this compound by correlating the dominant peaks in the Fourier transform of the muon precession signal obtained in an applied transverse magnetic field. Experiments performed in a longitudinal field are used to probe changes in individual molecular dynamics at the solid-nematic transition. High field avoided level crossing spectroscopy reveals four ΔM=0 transitions which can be fitted using simplified models of collective molecular dynamics appropriate to the solid, nematic, and liquid phases.

Abstract:

An angle-dependent study of the magneto-optical response of the p-wave triplet-paired perovskite superconductor Sr2RuO4\ reveals several new cyclotron resonance effects. We observe an odd-harmonic cyclotron resonance series, probably arising from the gamma Fermi surface, with a fundamental cyclotron mass of 12.6 m(e). In addition, we find several resonance branches which behave in unconventional ways owing to the unusual nature of the band dispersion in this material. The results confirm the complexity of the Sr2RuO4 Fermi surface topology and show that earlier conclusions drawn from millimetre-wave experiments should be reconsidered. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

Traditional solid state synthetic methods were used to prepare a polycrystalline sample of the n = 3 Ruddlesden-Popper phase Ca4Mn2TiO9.93. The crystal structure (space group Pbca, a = 5.31411(5), b = 5.31148(5), c = 26.9138(2)Angstrom) was determined by the simultaneous analysis of neutron and X-ray diffraction data, with near-edge anomalous scattering being used to provide contrast between Mn and Ti cations. The latter show a small preference for the octahedral sites at the centre of the three-layer perovskite blocks within the structure. Neutron diffraction data collected at 5 K show no evidence for long-range magnetic ordering, although an enhanced magnetisation with a weak remanence is observed at low temperature; this is ascribed to the presence of antisymmetric exchange interactions. Ca4Mn2TiO9.93 is a semiconductor with a temperature-dependent activation energy of similar to 100 meV. Only weak (rho (B)/rho (0) > 0.9 in 14 T at 75 K) magnetoresistance was observed.