Abstract
We present a specific heat and inelastic neutron scattering study in magnetic fields up into the magnetization plateau phase of the diamond chain compound azurite . We establish that the magnetization plateau is a dimer-monomer state, i.e., consisting of a chain of monomers, which are separated by dimers on the diamond chain backbone. The effective spin couplings and are derived from the monomer and dimer dispersions. They are associated to microscopic couplings , and a ferromagnetic , possibly as result of orbitals in the Cu-O bonds providing superexchange (SE) pathways with .
- Received 11 September 2007
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.117202
©2008 American Physical Society