Piezomagnetic switching and complex phase equilibria in uranium dioxide
Open Access
- 5 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Communications Materials
- Vol. 2 (1), 1-6
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-021-00121-6
Abstract
Actinide materials exhibit strong spin–lattice coupling and electronic correlations, and are predicted to host new emerging ground states. One example is piezomagnetism and magneto-elastic memory effect in the antiferromagnetic Mott-Hubbard insulator uranium dioxide, though its microscopic nature is under debate. Here, we report X-ray diffraction studies of oriented uranium dioxide crystals under strong pulsed magnetic fields. In the antiferromagnetic state a [888] Bragg diffraction peak follows the bulk magnetostriction that expands under magnetic fields. Upon reversal of the field the expansion turns to contraction, before the [888] peak follows the switching effect and piezomagnetic ‘butterfly’ behaviour, characteristic of two structures connected by time reversal symmetry. An unexpected splitting of the [888] peak is observed, indicating the simultaneous presence of time-reversed domains of the 3-k structure and a complex magnetic-field-induced evolution of the microstructure. These findings open the door for a microscopic understanding of the piezomagnetism and magnetic coupling across strong magneto-elastic interactions.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Science Foundation (DMR-1332208, DMR-1829070)
- DOE | Office of Science (DE-SC0017631)
- DOE | SC | Basic Energy Sciences (DE-AC02-06CH11357)
- DOE’s Early Career Research Program under the project “Actinide materials under extreme conditions”
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