Interplay of Fe and Nd magnetism in NdFeAsO single crystals

W. Tian, W. Ratcliff, M. G. Kim, J.-Q. Yan, P. A. Kienzle, Q. Huang, B. Jensen, K. W. Dennis, R. W. McCallum, T. A. Lograsso, R. J. McQueeney, A. I. Goldman (+2 others)
2010 Physical Review B  
The structural and magnetic phase transitions have been studied on NdFeAsO single crystals by neutron and x-ray diffraction complemented by resistivity and specific heat measurements. Two low-temperature phase transitions have been observed in addition to the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transition at T_S = 142 K and the onset of antiferromagnetic (AFM) Fe order below T_N = 137 K. The Fe moments order AFM in the well-known stripe-like structure in the (ab) plane, but change from AFM to
more » ... ic (FM) arrangement along the c direction below T* = 15 K accompanied by the onset of Nd AFM order below T_Nd = 6 K with this same AFM configuration. The iron magnetic order-order transition in NdFeAsO accentuates the Nd-Fe interaction and the delicate balance of c-axis exchange couplings that results in AFM in LaFeAsO and FM in CeFeAsO and PrFeAsO.
doi:10.1103/physrevb.82.060514 fatcat:ujjc3pz5fbb6lhm4mxsv4ymsiy