Spin-waves in antiferromagnetic single crystal LiFePO$_4$

Abstract

Spin-wave dispersions in the antiferromagnetic state of single crystal LiFePO$_4$ were determined by inelastic neutron scattering measurements. The dispersion curves measured from the (010) reflection along both {\it a}$^\ast$ and {\it b}$^\ast$ reciprocal-space directions reflect the anisotropic coupling of the layered Fe$^{2+}$ (S = 2) spin-system. The spin-wave dispersion curves were theoretically modeled using linear spin-wave theory by including in the spin-Hamiltonian in-plane nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor interactions ({\it J}$_1$ and {\it J}$_2$), inter-plane nearest-neighbor interactions ({\it J}$_\bot$) and a single-ion anisotropy ({\it D}). A weak (010) magnetic peak was observed in elastic neutron scattering studies of the same crystal indicating that the ground state of the staggered iron moments is not along (010) direction, as previously reported from polycrystalline samples studies, but slightly rotated away from this axis.