Abstract
We report optical measurements of that undergo a phase transition from a paramagnetic metal to an antiferromagnetic insulator at 200 K (=). The opening of a charge gap is observed in the optical conductivity spectrum [σ(ω)] below , and the missing spectral weight is distributed over the energy region above 0.3 eV. The evolution of the gap below is rather gradual with temperature, in contrast to sharp changes of lattice parameters and resistivity at . Such a feature in the σ(ω) spectrum of is characteristic of a spin-density-wave (SDW) state, though the peak energy (∼0.4 eV) of the σ(ω) spectrum is considerably larger than that predicted by a simple SDW theory. The effect of electron correlation is discussed on the basis of the σ(ω) spectra.
- Received 6 October 1994
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.51.4830
©1995 American Physical Society