Published May 2010 | Version v1
Journal article

Experimental validation of Villain's conjecture about magnetic ordering in quasi-1D helimagnets

  • 1. CNR-INFM S3 National Research Center, I-41100 Modena (Italy)
  • 2. CNISM and Department of Physics, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy)
  • 3. ISC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy)
  • 4. Department of Physics A. Volta and CNR-INFM, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia (Italy)
  • 5. Institute of General Physiology and Biological Chemistry, University of Milano, Via Trentacoste 2, I-20134 Milano (Italy)
  • 6. CIMeC, University of Trento, Via delle Regole, 101 38060 Mattarello (Italy)
  • 7. Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villingen PSI (Switzerland)
  • 8. INSTM R.U. Firenze and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy)
  • 9. Department of Physics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Via Campi 213/A, I-41100 Modena (Italy)

Description

Low-temperature magnetic susceptibility, zero-field muon spin resonance and specific heat measurements have been performed in the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) molecular helimagnetic compound Gd(hfac)3NITEt. The specific heat presents two anomalies at T0=2.19(2)K and TN=1.88(2)K, while susceptibility and zero-field muon spin resonance show anomalies only at TN=1.88(2)K. The results suggest an experimental validation of Villain's conjecture of a two-step magnetic ordering in quasi-1D XY helimagnets: the paramagnetic phase and the helical spin solid phases are separated by a chiral spin liquid, where translational invariance is broken without violation of rotational invariance.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2009.04.025

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1016/j.jmmm.2009.04.025;
PII
S0304-8853(09)00421-1;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials
Journal Volume
322
Journal Issue
9-12
Journal Page Range
p. 1259-1261
ISSN
0304-8853
CODEN
JMMMDC

Conference

Title
Joint European magnetic symposia
Dates
14-19 Sep 2008
Place
Dublin (Ireland)

Optional Information

Copyright
Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.