Magnetic phase diagram of the helimagnetic spinel compound ZnCr2Se4 revisited by small-angle neutron scattering

J Phys Condens Matter. 2016 Apr 13;28(14):146001. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/14/146001. Epub 2016 Mar 11.

Abstract

We performed small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements on the helimagnetic spinel compound ZnCr2Se4. The ground state of this material is a multi-domain spin-spiral phase, which undergoes domain selection in a magnetic field and reportedly exhibits a transition to a proposed spin-nematic phase at higher fields. We observed a continuous change in the magnetic structure as a function of field and temperature, as well as a weak discontinuous jump in the spiral pitch across the domain-selection transition upon increasing field. From our SANS results we have established the absence of any long-range magnetic order in the high-field (spin-nematic) phase. We also found that all the observed phase transitions are surprisingly isotropic with respect to the field direction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't