Abstract
We performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements on single crystals of to explore the magnetic excitations, to establish the underlying Hamiltonian, and to reveal the detailed nature of hybridization between the and magnetism. The observed spectra exhibiting a couple of key features, i.e., anticrossing of Nd and Fe excitations and anisotropy gap at the antiferromagnetic zone center, are explained by the magnetic model including spin interaction in the framework of weakly coupled chains, interaction between the and moments, and single-ion anisotropy derived from the crystal field. The combination of the measurements and calculations reveals that the hybridization between and magnetism propagates the local magnetic anisotropy of the moment to the network, leading to the determination of the bulk structure of both electric polarization and magnetic moment in the multiferroics of the spin-dependent metal-ligand hybridization type.
- Received 30 May 2015
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.92.054402
©2015 American Physical Society