A polarised neutron study of magnetic correlations in antiferromagnetic Cd0.35Mn0.65Te

Abstract

Magnetic correlations in Cd0.35Mn0.65Te have been investigated previously using the polarised neutron multi-detector spectrometer D7 at the Institut Laue-Langevin. The intensities of one group of magnetic reflections could not be understood within the polarisation analysis applied. New measurements using a triple-axis spectrometer equipped for polarisation analysis enabled the authors to determine precisely the relationship between the measured cross section and the polarisation configuration used. In a detailed analysis of the experimental results, the authors' describe how the puzzling results of the first experiment can be explained in the light of the results of the second experiment. They show further that their results indicate unambiguously that the magnetic structure of Cd0.35Mn0.65Te is not collinear, as has been assumed previously. A particularly interesting feature of this magnetic structure is that it has the ability to polarise a neutron beam. Although the number of non-collinear magnetic structure models can be restricted by symmetry considerations, the authors could not identify a model which describes all experimental results.