RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 X-ray Microdiffraction Images of Antiferromagnetic Domain Evolution in Chromium
JF Science
JO Science
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP 1042
OP 1045
DO 10.1126/science.1066870
VO 295
IS 5557
A1 Evans, P. G.
A1 Isaacs, E. D.
A1 Aeppli, G.
A1 Cai, Z.
A1 Lai, B.
YR 2002
UL http://science.sciencemag.org/content/295/5557/1042.abstract
AB Magnetic x-ray diffraction combined with x-ray focusing optics was used to image individual antiferromagnetic spin density wave domains in a chromium single crystal at the micron scale. The cross section for nonresonant magnetic x-ray scattering depends on the antiferromagnetic modulation vector and spin polarization direction and allows these quantities to be extracted independently. The technique was used to show that the broadening of the nominally first-order “spin-flip” transition at 123 kelvin, at which the spins rotate by 90°, originates at the walls between domains with orthogonal modulation vectors. During cooling, the transition begins at these walls and progresses inward. The modulation vector domains are themselves unchanged.