Interplay between low dimensionality and magnetic frustration in the magnetoelectric pyroxenes LiCrX2O6 (X=Ge,Si)

Gwilherm Nénert (1) , Masahiko Isobe (2) , Ingyu Kim (3) , Clemens Ritter (1) , Claire Colin (4) , Alexander N. Vasiliev (5) , Kee Hoon Kim (3) , Yutaka Ueda (2)

1 ILL - Institut Laue-Langevin
2 ISSP - Institute for Solid State Physics [Tokyo]
3 CeNSCMR - Centre for Novel States of Complex Materials Research
4 NEEL - MRS - Matériaux, Rayonnements, Structure
5 Low Temperature Physics Department

We have investigated the magnetic and magnetoelectric properties of LiCrGe2O6 and reinvestigated the magnetic properties of LiCrSi2O6. Using superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, electrical polarization, and neutron diffraction, we give evidence for the presence of magnetic frustration in the magnetoelectric pyroxenes LiCrX2O6 (X=Si,Ge). While pyroxene materials have been widely investigated for their low dimensional properties, we suggest that the magnetic frustration is likely to play a more important role into the nature of the magnetic ground state. The existence and possible interplay of low dimensionality and magnetic frustration resulting in multiferroic and/or magnetoelectric properties in the pyroxenes will probably open new avenues to tune and investigate the richness of the physic in this family.

Gwilherm Nénert, Masahiko Isobe, Ingyu Kim, Clemens Ritter, Claire Colin, et al.. Interplay between low dimensionality and magnetic frustration in the magnetoelectric pyroxenes LiCrX2O6 (X=Ge,Si). Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 2010, 82, pp.024429. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.82.024429⟩. ⟨hal-00942096⟩