Speaker
Description
The antiferromagnetic semiconductor MnTe has recently attracted enormous research interest. Among other distinctions, MnTe has significance as a leading example of altermagnetism, a high-performance thermoelectric compound when lightly doped, and a platform for spintronics based on antiferromagnetic domains. Muon spin relaxation/rotation (µSR) studies of MnTe can help provide a more complete picture of the magnetism in MnTe, which underlies virtually all of the multifunctional properties of this fascinating compound. We report a comprehensive µSR investigation of pure and Li-doped MnTe. The asymmetry shows unusually complex behavior as a function of temperature: Upon cooling from TN = 307 K to 2 K, we observe the appearance, subsequent disappearance, and ultimate reappearance of up to four distinct precession frequencies. In addition, for intermediate temperatures between approximately 40 K and 100 K, we observe a nearly instantaneous depolarization of the muon ensemble, resulting in the complete loss of asymmetry, which is then fully recovered upon further cooling or warming. With the help of muon stopping site calculations, we explain this striking behavior as a consequence of anomalous muon dynamics in MnTe characterized by thermally assisted hopping among nearly degenerate stopping sites. The results shed light on the magnetic properties of MnTe and highlight the unexpectedly rich behavior associated with muon dynamics.
| benfrandsen@byu.edu | |
| Funding Agency | United States Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences |
| Did you request an Invitation Letter for a Visitors Visa Application | No |
