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Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 227202 (2009) [4 pages]

Two-Dimensional Kagome Correlations and Field Induced Order in the Ferromagnetic XY Pyrochlore Yb2Ti2O7

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K. A. Ross1, J. P. C. Ruff1, C. P. Adams1,2, J. S. Gardner3,4, H. A. Dabkowska1, Y. Qiu4,5, J. R. D. Copley4, and B. D. Gaulin1,6
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4M1, Canada
2Department of Physics, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, B2G 2W5, Canada
3Indiana University, 2401 Milo B. Sampson Lane, Bloomington, Indiana 47408, USA
4National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, MS 6102, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6102, USA
5Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
6Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 180 Dundas Street W., Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1Z8, Canada

Received 29 January 2009; published 25 November 2009

Neutron scattering measurements show the ferromagnetic XY pyrochlore Yb2Ti2O7 to display strong quasi-two-dimensional (2D) spin correlations at low temperature, which give way to long range order (LRO) under the application of modest magnetic fields. Rods of scattering along ⟨111⟩ directions due to these 2D spin correlations imply a magnetic decomposition of the cubic pyrochlore system into decoupled kagome planes. A magnetic field of ∼0.5  T applied along the [11̅ 0] direction induces a transition to a 3D LRO state characterized by long-lived, dispersive spin waves. Our measurements map out a complex low temperature-field phase diagram for this exotic pyrochlore magnet.

© 2009 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.227202
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.227202
PACS:
75.25.+z, 75.40.Gb, 78.70.Nx
 
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