Frustrated superexchange interaction versus orbital order in a LaVO3 crystal

Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Feb 1;100(4):046401. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.046401. Epub 2008 Jan 28.

Abstract

Measurements of magnetic, transport properties, thermal conductivity, and magnetization under pressure as well as neutron diffraction have been made on a single crystal and powder sample of LaVO3. The Néel temperature was found to mark a transition from the phase with both frustrated superexchange interaction and spin-orbit lambdaL.S coupling to the phase where the Jahn-Teller orbital-lattice coupling dominates. The dramatic reduction of absolute entropy in the paramagnetic phase is explained in terms of forming a long-range coherent state due to the interference between frustrated orbits and spins.