2006/10/30 by R. C. Rai, Ram Rai, Jiannong Cao +24
Chemical Engineering · Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Catalysis and Oxidation Reactions #FOS: Physical sciences #Geoscience and Mining Technology #Magneto-Optical Properties and Applications #Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) #Transition Metal Oxide Nanomaterials #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0610835
12 figures, 11 pages, accepted in Physical Review B
arxiv created 2006/10/30 · openalex publication_date 2006/10/30 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2019/06/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We use a combination of optical spectra, first principles calculations, and energy dependent magneto-optical measurements to elucidate the electronic structure and to study the phase diagram of Ni3V2O8. We find a remarkable interplay of magnetic field and optical properties that reveals additional high magnetic field phases and an unexpected electronic structure which we associate with the strong magneto-dielectric couplings in this material over a wide energy range. Specifically, we observed several prominent magneto-dielectric effects that derive from changes in crystal field environment around Ni spine and cross-tie centers. This effect is consistent with a field-induced modification of local structure. Symmetry-breaking effects are also evident with temperature. We find Ni3V2O8 to be an intermediate gap, local moment band insulator. This electronic structure is particularly favorable for magneto-dielectric couplings, because the material is not subject to the spin charge separation characteristic of strongly correlated large gap Mott insulators, while at the same time remaining a magnetic insulator independent of the particular spin order and temperature.