Magnetism of powder samples and of single crystals

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the magnetic order parameter of NiF2, MnCO3 and K2NiF4 measured on powder samples is compared with data obtained on single crystals. It is found that the dynamic dimensionality of the NiF2 and MnCO3 powder samples is one-dimensional (1D) for all temperatures T<TN. This shows that the powder grains are mono-domain particles. In the multi-domain single crystals isotropic 3D dynamic symmetry is observed. In order to explain isotropy in the bulk single crystals a dynamic averaging process over all domain orientations has to be postulated. For single crystal material of K2NiF4 a critical exponent of β=0.14±0.01 has been reported. Our neutron diffraction measurements on powder material yield to a very good approximation mean field critical behaviour indicating isotropic dynamics in the critical range. This unexpected result points to a dynamic averaging process over all differently oriented powder grains. As we have argued earlier, the observed universality in the dynamics of ordered magnets is due to a boson guiding field. Averaging over all powder grains, requests that the mean free path of the field bosons is larger than the size of the grains. Additionally, it must be assumed that the field quanta are able to tunnel across the interface between adjacent grains. In polycrystalline bulk samples of the 2D ferromagnet Rb2CrCl4 and of the 1D antiferromagnet KCuF3 also mean field critical behaviour is identified. As a consequence, a similar averaging process as in the K2NiF4 powder sample can be assumed to average over the mosaic structure of polycrystalline bulk material of Rb2CrCl4 and KCuF3. High quality single crystals of Rb2CrCl4 and of KCuF3 exhibit critical exponent of β~0.3. Dependence of the critical exponents on the mesoscopic morphology of the sample is considered as a typical indication of a boson controlled dynamics, and may partly explain the surprisingly broad distribution of critical exponent values reported in literature.