Synchrotron x-ray study of lattice vibrations in CdCr2O4

Abstract

Using inelastic x-ray scattering we have investigated lattice vibrations in a geometric frustrated system CdCr2O4 that upon cooling undergoes a spin-Peierls phase transition at TN = 7.8 K from a cubic and paramagnetic to a tetragonal and Neel state. Phonon modes measured around Brillouin zone boundaries show energy shifts when the transition occurs. Our analysis shows that the shifting can be understood as the ordinary effects of the lowering of the crystal symmetry.