Piezomagnetic switching and complex phase equilibria in uranium dioxide

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications materials 2021-02, Vol.2 (1), p.1-6, Article 17
Main Authors: Antonio, Daniel J., Weiss, Joel T., Shanks, Katherine S., Ruff, Jacob P. C., Jaime, Marcelo, Saul, Andres, Swinburne, Thomas, Salamon, Myron, Shrestha, Keshav, Lavina, Barbara, Koury, Daniel, Gruner, Sol M., Andersson, David A., Stanek, Christopher R., Durakiewicz, Tomasz, Smith, James L., Islam, Zahirul, Gofryk, Krzysztof
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/301/119/997
639/301/930/12
639/766/119/2795
Antiferromagnetism
Chemistry and Materials Science
Coupling
Crystal structure
Electron spin
Magnetic domains
Magnetic fields
Magnetism
Magnetostriction
Materials Science
OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
Phase equilibria
Piezomagnetism
Switching
Uranium
Uranium dioxide
X-ray diffraction
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Summary: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. UO 2 is an antiferromagnetic Mott-Hubbard insulator and exhibits piezomagnetism, though the origin of this is elusive. Here, X-ray diffraction of UO 2 in pulsed magnetic fields reveals the presence of time-reversed magnetic domains and structural distortions that take place during the piezomagnetic switching.
ISSN:2662-4443
2662-4443
DOI:10.1038/s43246-021-00121-6