Nature of the Spin Dynamics and 1/3 Magnetization Plateau in Azurite

K. C. Rule, A. U. B. Wolter, S. Süllow, D. A. Tennant, A. Brühl, S. Köhler, B. Wolf, M. Lang, and J. Schreuer
Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 117202 – Published 19 March 2008

Abstract

We present a specific heat and inelastic neutron scattering study in magnetic fields up into the 1/3 magnetization plateau phase of the diamond chain compound azurite Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2. We establish that the magnetization plateau is a dimer-monomer state, i.e., consisting of a chain of S=1/2 monomers, which are separated by S=0 dimers on the diamond chain backbone. The effective spin couplings Jmono/kB=10.1(2)K and Jdimer/kB=1.8(1)K are derived from the monomer and dimer dispersions. They are associated to microscopic couplings J1/kB=1(2)K, J2/kB=55(5)K and a ferromagnetic J3/kB=20(5)K, possibly as result of dz2 orbitals in the Cu-O bonds providing superexchange (SE) pathways with JSE=6.5K.

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  • Received 11 September 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.117202

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

K. C. Rule1, A. U. B. Wolter1, S. Süllow2, D. A. Tennant1, A. Brühl3, S. Köhler3, B. Wolf3, M. Lang3, and J. Schreuer4

  • 1Hahn-Meitner-Institut GmbH, D-14109 Berlin, Germany
  • 2Inst. für Physik der Kondensierten Materie, TU Braunschweig, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
  • 3Physikalisches Institut, J.W. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt(M), Germany
  • 4Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 100, Iss. 11 — 21 March 2008

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