Doping Studies of Frustrated Magnets
Creators: name: Shinohara, Hajime
Publisher: name: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Doping
subject: Frustration
subject: Quantum Physics
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: Spin Chain
subject: Spin Ice
subject: Spin Liquid
subject: Spin
subject: Quantum
subject: Physics
subject: Synthesis
subject: Characterization
subject: X-ray
subject: MPMS
subject: PPMS

description: Doping nonmagnetic materials is known as an effective way of investigating the properties of frustrated magnets. LiCuSbO4 is one of the simplest quasi-one dimensional spin-1/2 magnets which can be modelled with ferromagnetic(FM) nearest neighbour and antiferromagnetic (AFM) next nearest neighbour interactions. Here, doping with both non-magnetic ions, Zn, Mg, and magnetic ions, Co, is investigated. LiCu1-xMxSbO4 (M=Mg, Zn, Co 0≦x≦0.1) samples were synthesized by a ceramics process. At higher doping levels (x≧0.04), paramagnetic Curie features are observed below 4 K, however the broad peak characteristic of short range ordering at 6 K is retained. Isothermal magnetization indicates that the critical field found at 12 T in LiCuSbO4 was shifted by Zn and Mg doping. While the field is increased as the amount of Mg doping, it was increased as Zn doping in the range of 0≦x≦0.02 but decreased by x≧0.04. The trend in critical field is observed to follow that of the c lattice parameter for both Zn and Mg doping. On doping with Co2+ (S = 3/2), a low temperature Curie feature was observed from x=0.02. The value of the critical field increased on doping from (x=0) 12 T for 13.5 T (x=0.10). As for non-magnetic doping the trend in Hc has the same behaviour as the lattice parameter. The effect of doping on the pyrochlore spin ice A2B2O7 is also explored. The effect of oxygen vacancies induced by the aliovalent substitution on the B site on the crystal electric field was explored in the ceramic solid solutions. The effect of aliovalent doping on the pyrochlore A2Sn2(1-x)Sc2xO7-x (A=Ho and Dy 0≦x≦0.10) Tb2B2(1-x)Sc2xO7-x (B=Sn and Ti 0≦x≦0.05) were studied. While no dramatic changes of the saturation value of isothermal magnetization and heat capacities was observed in Dy2Sn2O7 by Sc doping in the range of 0≦x≦0.1, the saturation value of isothermal magnetization and magnetic entropy in Ho2Sn2O7 was clearly increased by Sc doping more than x=0.05, This difference could be from the difference of Kramer’s and non-Kramer’s spins between Dy and Ho, as while Dy is a Kramer’s ion and its ground state is protected, Ho is a non-Kramer’s ion and its ground state could be split. While Tb2Sn2O7 is known as quantum spin ice, Tb2Ti2O7 is known as spin liquid. A peak at 6 K of heat capacity, which is assigned as being due to a crystal electric field excitation to an excited doublet in Tb2Sn2O7 and Tb2Ti2O7 was observed in the Tb2Sn2(1-x)Sc2xO7-x sample. However in Tb2Ti2(1-x)Sc2xO7-x it was not observed. This indicates that the increased strain in the ceramic solid solution has a larger impact on the crystal electric field.
description: Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability, Funai Overseas Scholarship, British Council Japan Association