Abstract
The one-dimensional cobaltate Ca{}_{3}Co{}_{2}O{}_{6} is an intriguing material having an unconventional magnetic structure, displaying quantum tunneling phenomena in its magnetization. Using a newly developed experimental method, s-core-level non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (s-NIXS), we were able to image the atomic Co 3d orbital that is responsible for the Ising magnetism in this system. We can directly observe that corrections to the commonly accepted ideal prismatic trigonal crystal field scheme occur in Ca{}_{3}Co{}_{2}O{}_{6}, and it is the complex {d}_{2} orbital occupied by the sixth electron at the high-spin Co{}_{,text{trig},}^{3+} ({d}^{6}) sites that generates the Ising-like behavior. The ability to directly relate the orbital occupation with the local crystal structure is essential to model the magnetic properties of this system.
Highlights
The one-dimensional cobaltate Ca3Co2O6 is an intriguing material having an unconventional magnetic structure, displaying quantum tunneling phenomena in its magnetization
Our experimental setup is illustrated in ref. 24 and a general description of the inelastic X-ray scattering method is given in ref
A collection of NIXS spectra measured at various sample angles is displayed in Fig. 2, all of which have been normalized to have the same maximum intensity at % 370 eV
Summary
The one-dimensional cobaltate Ca3Co2O6 is an intriguing material having an unconventional magnetic structure, displaying quantum tunneling phenomena in its magnetization. Using a newly developed experimental method, s-core-level non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (s-NIXS), we were able to image the atomic Co 3d orbital that is responsible for the Ising magnetism in this system. We can directly observe that corrections to the commonly accepted ideal prismatic trigonal crystal field scheme occur in Ca3Co2O6, and it is the complex d2 orbital occupied by the sixth electron at the high-spin Co3trþig (d6) sites that generates the Ising-like behavior. The discovery of stair-step jumps in the magnetization at regular intervals with an increasing applied field strength is indicative of the presence of quantum tunneling phenomena. The discovery of stair-step jumps in the magnetization at regular intervals with an increasing applied field strength is indicative of the presence of quantum tunneling phenomena6 This has triggered a flurry of theoretical and experimental research activities on Ca3Co2O66–13 and its close derivatives. We make use of 3s core-level non-resonant inelastic X-
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