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Model-free reconstruction of magnetic correlations in frustrated magnets...

by Nikolaj Roth, Andrew F May, Feng Ye, Bryan C Chakoumakos, Bo Iversen
Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
IUCrJ
Publication Date
Page Numbers
410 to 416
Volume
5
Issue
4

Frustrated magnetic systems exhibit extraordinary physical properties, but quantification of their magnetic correlations poses a serious challenge to experiment and theory. Current insight into frustrated magnetic correlations relies on modelling techniques such as reverse Monte-Carlo methods, which require knowledge about the exact ordered atomic structure. Here, we present a method for direct reconstruction of magnetic correlations in frustrated magnets by three-dimensional difference pair distribution function analysis of neutron total scattering data. The methodology is applied to the disordered frustrated magnet bixbyite, (Mn1−xFex)2O3, which reveals nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic correlations for the metal sites up to a range of approximately 15 Å. Importantly, this technique allows for magnetic correlations to be determined directly from the experimental data without any assumption about the atomic structure.