28 August 2022 to 2 September 2022
Science and Technology Campus, University of Parma
Europe/Rome timezone
The Open Access Conference Proceedings is Now Available!

A wolf in sheep's clothing? Muon-induced magnetism in quantum spin ice

STD-5 / P-MON-33
28 Aug 2022, 11:45
15m
Aula dei Cavalieri, University Central Palace, via Università 12

Aula dei Cavalieri, University Central Palace, via Università 12

Oral Strongly correlated electron systems Student Day

Speaker

Hank Wu (Oxford University)

Description

Compounds of the form $\rm{A}_2\rm{X}_2\rm{O}_7$ with the pyrochlore structures can exhibit classical or quantum spin ice behaviour if the crystal field environment of the $\rm{A}\rm{O}_8$ arrangement leads to the [111] easy-axis anisotropy. When Pr occupies the A-site, there is a low-lying electronic doublet and $\rm{Pr}_2\rm{X}_2\rm{O}_7$ compounds are found to be quantum spin ices$^1$. Pr$^{3+}$ is a non-Kramers ion and the presence of the muon can distort nearby $\rm{PrO}_8$ units and split the doublet ground states$^2$, resulting in an enhancement of the Pr nuclear moment due to hyperfine coupling with the electronic moments$^3$. We explore this effect using a theoretical model that takes account of the important interactions and compare our simulations with $\mu$SR data on samples of $\rm{Pr}_2\rm{X}_2\rm{O}_7$ (X = Sn, Hf, Zr) and new experimental data on $\rm{Pr}_2\rm{ScTaO}_7$, a candidate system that simultaneously realises spin ice and charge ice structures.

References:
1. A. Princep, Phys. Rev. B 88, 104421 (2013)
2. F. Foronda et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 017602 (2015)
3. B. Bleaney, Physica 69, 317 (1973)

Primary author

Hank Wu (Oxford University)

Co-author

Prof. Stephen Blundell (Oxford University)

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