Magnetic states of MnP: muon-spin rotation studies. (21st March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Khasanov, R; Amato, A; Bonfà, P; Guguchia, Z; Luetkens, H; Morenzoni, E; De Renzi, R; Zhigadlo, N D
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 29:Number 16(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-03-21
• Subjects: muon-spin rotation -- pressure -- magnetism -- superconductivity; Condensed matter -- Periodicals; Matière condensée -- Périodiques; Vaste stoffen; Vloeistoffen; Natuurkunde; Electronic journals; Computer network resources; 530.4105
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/aa6391
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-8984

Abstract

Abstract: Muon-spin rotation data collected at ambient pressure ( p ) and at p = 2.42 GPa in MnP were analyzed to check their consistency with various low- and high-pressure magnetic structures reported in the literature. Our analysis confirms that in MnP the low-temperature and low-pressure helimagnetic phase is characterised by an increased value of the average magnetic moment compared to the high-temperature ferromagnetic phase. An elliptical double-helical structure with a propagation vector Q = ( 0, 0, 0.117 ), an a -axis moment elongated by approximately 18% and an additional tilt of the rotation plane towards c -direction by ≃ 4 –8° leads to a good agreement between the theory and the experiment. The analysis of the high-pressure μ SR data reveals that the new magnetic order appearing for pressures exceeding 1.5 GPa can not be described by keeping the propagation vector Q ∥ c . Even the extreme case—decoupling the double-helical structure into four individual helices—remains inconsistent with the experiment. It is shown that the high-pressure magnetic phase which is a precursor of superconductivity is an incommensurate helical state with Q ∥ b .