Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved]
Background: Magnetoelectric multipoles, which break both space-inversion and time-reversal symmetries, play an important role in the magnetoelectric response of a material. Motivated by uncovering the underlying fundamental physics of the magnetoelectric multipoles and the possible technological app...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Open Research Europe |
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| Online Access: | https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/1-132/v2 |
| _version_ | 1828365496280416256 |
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| author | Daniel O'Neill Sayantika Bhowal Nicola A. Spaldin Michael Fechner Jon Duffy Urs Staub Stephen P. Collins |
| author_facet | Daniel O'Neill Sayantika Bhowal Nicola A. Spaldin Michael Fechner Jon Duffy Urs Staub Stephen P. Collins |
| author_sort | Daniel O'Neill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Magnetoelectric multipoles, which break both space-inversion and time-reversal symmetries, play an important role in the magnetoelectric response of a material. Motivated by uncovering the underlying fundamental physics of the magnetoelectric multipoles and the possible technological applications of magnetoelectric materials, understanding as well as detecting such magnetoelectric multipoles has become an active area of research in condensed matter physics. Here we employ the well-established Compton scattering effect as a possible probe for the magnetoelectric toroidal moments in LiNiPO4. Methods: We employ combined theoretical and experimental techniques to compute as well as detect the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4. For the theoretical investigation we use density functional theory to compute the anti-symmetric part of the Compton profile for the magnetic and structural ground state of LiNiPO4. For the experimental verification, we measure the Compton signals for a single magnetoelectric domain sample of LiNiPO4, and then again for the same sample with its magnetoelectric domain reversed. We then take the difference between these two measured signals to extract the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4. Results: Our theoretical calculations indicate an antisymmetric Compton profile in the direction of the ty toroidal moment in momentum space, with the computed antisymmetric profile around four orders of magnitude smaller than the total profile. The difference signal that we measure is consistent with the computed profile, but of the same order of magnitude as the statistical errors and systematic uncertainties of the experiment. Conclusions: While the weak difference signal in the measurements prevents an unambiguous determination of the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4, our results motivate further theoretical work to understand the factors that influence the size of the antisymmetric Compton profile, and to identify materials exhibiting larger effects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:31:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-685ff90371b8492f8cf7b8d7a7d90427 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2732-5121 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:31:56Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Research Europe |
| spelling | doaj.art-685ff90371b8492f8cf7b8d7a7d904272022-12-22T02:09:46ZengF1000 Research LtdOpen Research Europe2732-51212022-05-01115909Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved]Daniel O'Neill0Sayantika Bhowal1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4134-7540Nicola A. Spaldin2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0709-9499Michael Fechner3Jon Duffy4Urs Staub5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2035-3367Stephen P. Collins6Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UKMaterials Theory, ETH Zürich, Zurich, 8093, SwitzerlandMaterials Theory, ETH Zürich, Zurich, 8093, SwitzerlandCondensed Matter Dynamics Department, Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg, 22761, GermanyDepartment of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UKSwiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, 5232, SwitzerlandDiamond Light Source, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, UKBackground: Magnetoelectric multipoles, which break both space-inversion and time-reversal symmetries, play an important role in the magnetoelectric response of a material. Motivated by uncovering the underlying fundamental physics of the magnetoelectric multipoles and the possible technological applications of magnetoelectric materials, understanding as well as detecting such magnetoelectric multipoles has become an active area of research in condensed matter physics. Here we employ the well-established Compton scattering effect as a possible probe for the magnetoelectric toroidal moments in LiNiPO4. Methods: We employ combined theoretical and experimental techniques to compute as well as detect the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4. For the theoretical investigation we use density functional theory to compute the anti-symmetric part of the Compton profile for the magnetic and structural ground state of LiNiPO4. For the experimental verification, we measure the Compton signals for a single magnetoelectric domain sample of LiNiPO4, and then again for the same sample with its magnetoelectric domain reversed. We then take the difference between these two measured signals to extract the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4. Results: Our theoretical calculations indicate an antisymmetric Compton profile in the direction of the ty toroidal moment in momentum space, with the computed antisymmetric profile around four orders of magnitude smaller than the total profile. The difference signal that we measure is consistent with the computed profile, but of the same order of magnitude as the statistical errors and systematic uncertainties of the experiment. Conclusions: While the weak difference signal in the measurements prevents an unambiguous determination of the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4, our results motivate further theoretical work to understand the factors that influence the size of the antisymmetric Compton profile, and to identify materials exhibiting larger effects.https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/1-132/v2Magneto-electric toroidal moment Compton scattering Density functional theory Lithium transition metal phosphateeng |
| spellingShingle | Daniel O'Neill Sayantika Bhowal Nicola A. Spaldin Michael Fechner Jon Duffy Urs Staub Stephen P. Collins Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved] Open Research Europe Magneto-electric toroidal moment Compton scattering Density functional theory Lithium transition metal phosphate eng |
| title | Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved] |
| title_full | Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved] |
| title_fullStr | Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved] |
| title_short | Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment [version 2; peer review: 3 approved] |
| title_sort | anti symmetric compton scattering in linipo4 towards a direct probe of the magneto electric multipole moment version 2 peer review 3 approved |
| topic | Magneto-electric toroidal moment Compton scattering Density functional theory Lithium transition metal phosphate eng |
| url | https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/1-132/v2 |
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