ePubs

The open archive for STFC research publications

Full Record Details

Persistent URL http://purl.org/net/epubs/work/53917
Record Status Checked
Record Id 53917
Title Spin and orbital order in the vanadium spinel MgV2O4
Contributors
Abstract We present a study of the frustrated spinel MgV2O4, which possesses highly coupled spin, lattice, and orbital degrees of freedom. Using large single crystal and powder samples, we find a distortion from spinel at room temperature (space group F4̅ 3m) which allows for a greater trigonal distortion of the VO6 octahedra and a low-temperature space group (I4̅ m2) that maintains the mirror plane symmetry. The magnetic structure that develops below 42 K consists of antiferromagnetic chains with a strongly reduced moment while inelastic neutron scattering reveals one-dimensional behavior and a single band of excitations. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of various orbital-ordering scenarios. We conclude that although spin-orbit coupling must be significant to maintain the mirror plane symmetry, the trigonal distortion is large enough to mix the 3d levels leading to a wave function of mixed real and complex orbitals.
Organisation ISIS , ISIS-MERLIN , STFC
Keywords Physics , spinel , orbital order
Funding Information
Related Research Object(s):
Licence Information:
Language English (EN)
Type Details URI(s) Local file(s) Year
Journal Article Phys Rev B 82 (2010): 140406(R). doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.82.140406 2010