ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Search for Kitaev interactions and vortex spin dynamics in a spin-orbit coupled triangular magnet

Abstract: We propose to explore the spin dynamics of a hexagonal magnet with Co2+ ions with spin-orbit entangled J_eff=1/2 magnetic moments where bond-dependent anisotropic (Kitaev) interactions are expected, but so far evidence for such interactions has only been found in honeycomb structures for Ru3+ and Ir4+ ions. We have recently characterized the magnetic phase diagram of hexagonal Na2BaCoP2O8 via neutron diffraction and observed a surprising phase in applied field with q-vector moving along the zone boundary upon varying field, which may be related to the so-called vortex crystal phase expected to be stabilized when sub-leading ferromagnetic Kitaev interactions accompany antiferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange. Here we propose to study the spin dynamics as a function of applied field and search for specific signatures of Kitaev interactions and vortex physics in single crystals.

Principal Investigator: Professor Radu Coldea
Local Contact: Dr Ross Stewart
Experimenter: Dr Ryutaro Okuma
Experimenter: Miss Leonie Woodland

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2220680

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2220680

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Professor Radu Coldea et al; (2023): Search for Kitaev interactions and vortex spin dynamics in a spin-orbit coupled triangular magnet, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2220680

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.