The role of magnetoelastic coupling and magnetic anisotropy in MnTiO$_3$

TL;DR

This study explores how magnetoelastic coupling and magnetic anisotropy influence magnetic ordering and phase transitions in MnTiO3 through various thermodynamic and spectroscopic measurements.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental insights into the effects of anisotropy and magnetoelastic interactions on magnetic phases and excitations in MnTiO3, including pressure dependencies and short-range order.

Findings

Identification of spin-reorientation at 6 T

Determination of zero-field excitation gap Δ

Observation of short-range magnetic order up to 3 T_N

Abstract

We report the thermodynamic properties studied by thermal expansion, magnetostriction, magnetisation, and specific heat measurements as well as the low-energy magnetic excitations of \mto\ and investigate how magneto-elastic coupling and magnetic anisotropy affect the evolution of long-range order and the magnetic phase diagram. Specifically, we utilise high-resolution capacitance dilatometry and antiferromagnetic resonance (AFMR) studies by means of high-frequency electron spin resonance (HF-ESR) spectroscopy. The role of anisotropy is reflected by spin-reorientation at $B_{\rm{SF}}$~$\simeq 6$~T and a corresponding sign change in $\partial T_{\rm N}/\partial B$. Analysis of the AFMR modes enables us to establish the zero-field excitation gap $\Delta$ as well as its temperature dependence. We derive the effective anisotropy field $B_\mathrm{A} = 0.16(1)$~T which predominately originates from out-of-plane nearest-neighbour dipole-dipole interactions. Despite the nearly fully quenched orbital moment, our data show pronounced thermal expansion and magnetostriction anomalies at $T_{\rm N}$ and $B_{\rm{SF}}$ , respectively, which allows the experimental determination of sizable uniaxial pressure dependencies, i.e., $\partial B_{\rm SF}/\partial p_{\rm c} = -0.20(2)$~T/GPa, $\partial T_{\rm N}/ \partial p_b = 0.69(12)$~K/GPa, and $\partial T_{\rm N}/ \partial p_c = -2.0(4)$~K/GPa. Notably, short-range magnetic order appears up to at least 3$T_{\rm N}$ , as indicated by anisotropic lattice distortion, the violation of a constant Gr\"uneisen behavior, and the presence of local magnetic fields detected by HF-ESR.