Local magnetism, magnetic order and spin freezing in the "nonmetallic metal" FeCrAs

Huddart, Benjamin; Birch, Max T; Pratt, Francis; Blundell, Stephen; Porter, Dan G; Clark, Stewart J; Wu, Wenlong; Julian, Stephen R; Hatton, Peter; Lancaster, Tom

Abstract

We present the results of x-ray scattering and muon-spin relaxation (SR) measurements on the iron-pnictide compound FeCrAs. Polarized non-resonant magnetic x-ray scattering results reveal the 120° periodicity expected from the suggested three-fold symmetric, non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure. SR measurements indicate a magnetically ordered phase throughout the bulk of the material below K. There are signs of fluctuating magnetism in a narrow range of temperatures above involving low-energy excitations, while at temperatures well below behaviour characteristic of freezing of dynamics is observed, likely reflecting the effect of disorder in our polycrystalline sample. Using density functional theory we propose a distinct muon stopping site in this compound and assess the degree of distortion induced by the implanted muon.

Citation

Huddart, B., Birch, M. T., Pratt, F., Blundell, S., Porter, D. G., Clark, S. J., …Lancaster, T. (2019). Local magnetism, magnetic order and spin freezing in the "nonmetallic metal" FeCrAs. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 31(28), Article 285803. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648x/ab151f

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 26, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Apr 26, 2019
• Publication Date: Jul 17, 2019
• Deposit Date: Apr 15, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 26, 2020
• Journal: Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
• Print ISSN: 0953-8984
• Electronic ISSN: 1361-648X
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 28
• Article Number: 285803
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648x/ab151f
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1333046
• Related Public URLs: https://arxiv.org/abs/1812.09252