Magnetostructural Transitions in a Frustrated Magnet at High Fields

V. Tsurkan, S. Zherlitsyn, V. Felea, S. Yasin, Yu. Skourski, J. Deisenhofer, H.-A. Krug von Nidda, P. Lemmens, J. Wosnitza, and A. Loidl
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 247202 – Published 16 June 2011

Abstract

Ultrasound and magnetization studies of bond-frustrated ZnCr2S4 spinel are performed in static magnetic fields up to 18 T and in pulsed fields up to 62 T. At temperatures below the antiferromagnetic transition at TN114K, the sound velocity as a function of the magnetic field reveals a sequence of steps followed by plateaus indicating a succession of crystallographic structures with constant stiffness. At the same time, the magnetization evolves continuously with a field up to full magnetic polarization without any plateaus in contrast to geometrically frustrated chromium oxide spinels. The observed high-field magnetostructural states are discussed within a HT phase diagram taking into account the field and temperature evolution of three coexisting spin structures and subsequent lattice transformations induced by the magnetic field.

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  • Received 15 April 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.247202

© 2011 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

V. Tsurkan1,2, S. Zherlitsyn3, V. Felea2,4, S. Yasin3, Yu. Skourski3, J. Deisenhofer1, H.-A. Krug von Nidda1, P. Lemmens4, J. Wosnitza3, and A. Loidl1

  • 1Experimental Physics 5, Center for Electronic Correlations and Magnetism, Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, D 86159, Augsburg, Germany
  • 2Institute of Applied Physics, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, MD 2028, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
  • 3Hochfeld-Magnetlabor Dresden (HLD), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
  • 4Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, TU Braunschweig, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 106, Iss. 24 — 17 June 2011

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