# Magnetic dynamics in NiTiO3 honeycomb antiferromagnet using neutron scattering

## TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic structure and excitations of NiTiO3, revealing anisotropic Heisenberg behavior, weak frustration, and temperature-dependent magnetic dynamics using neutron scattering.

## Contribution

It provides detailed insights into the magnetic interactions and excitations in NiTiO3, highlighting its anisotropic Heisenberg characteristics and weak frustration.

## Key findings

- Dispersive acoustic and nearly dispersionless optical bands at ~3.7 meV observed.
- Anisotropy gap of 0.95 meV identified.
- Critical exponent indicates behavior between Heisenberg and 2D Ising models.

## Abstract

The ilmenite NiTiO3 consists of a buckled honeycomb lattice, with the Ni spins aligned ferromagnetically in-plane and antiferromagnetically out-of-plane. Using neutron spectroscopy, the magnetic structure and the dynamics were investigated as a function of temperature. Dispersive acoustic bands and nearly dispersionless optical bands at ~3.7 meV are described by a highly anisotropy Heisenberg model with stronger antiferromagnetic (AFM) out-of-plane, weaker ferromagnetic (FM) in-plane interactions and an anisotropy gap of 0.95 meV. The order parameter yields a critical exponent between the Heisenberg and two-dimensional Ising models, consistent with highly anisotropic Heisenberg systems. The frustration parameter ~ 2 supports a weakly frustrated system.