1998/12/31 by Igor Zaliznyak, I. A. Zaliznyak, C. Broholm +3 · 5 citations
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Anisotropy #Chemistry #Condensed matter physics #Crystal structure #Crystallography #Geometry #Orthorhombic crystal system #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Theoretical and Computational Physics #Thermodynamics #Zigzag #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.83.5370
4 pages, LaTeX, submitted to PRL
arxiv created 1999/06/02 · openalex publication_date 1999/12/20 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We characterize an unusual magnetic phase in orthorhombic SrCuO2 using neutron scattering. SrCuO2 contains zigzag spin chains formed by pairs of linear S\phantom\rule0ex0ex=\phantom\rule0ex0ex1/2 chains ( J\phantom\rule0ex0ex=\phantom\rule0ex0ex180 meV) coupled through a frustrated interaction ( |J^\ensuremath'|\ensuremath\lesssim0.1J). For T<Tc1\phantom\rule0ex0ex=\phantom\rule0ex0ex5.0(4) K, an elastic peak develops in a gapless spectrum indicating spin freezing on a time scale \ensuremathδt>2\ifmmode \else \.\fi10^\ensuremath-10 s. While the frozen state has long range order along chains ( \ensuremathξc>200c) and a substantial correlation length, \ensuremathξa\phantom\rule0ex0ex=\phantom\rule0ex0ex60(25)a, perpendicular to zigzag planes, the correlation length is only \ensuremathξb\phantom\rule0ex0ex=\phantom\rule0ex0ex2.2(3)b in the direction of frustrated interactions. We argue that slow dynamics of stripelike cooperative magnetic defects yield this anisotropic frozen state.