Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-5-2021

Publication Title

Communications Materials

Volume

2

Issue

1

First page number:

1

Last page number:

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. UO2 is an antiferromagnetic Mott-Hubbard insulator and exhibits piezomagnetism, though the origin of this is elusive. Here, X-ray diffraction of UO2 in pulsed magnetic fields reveals the presence of time-reversed magnetic domains and structural distortions that take place during the piezomagnetic switching.

Keywords

Actinide materials; Electronic correlations; Piezomagnetism; Piezomagnetic switching; Uranium dioxide; Characterization and analytical techniques; Magnetic properties and materials; Phase transitions and critical phenomena

Disciplines

Chemistry | Materials Chemistry | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

File Format

pdf

File Size

1435 KB

Language

English

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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