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Dual-stage structural response to quenching charge order in magnetite

Wang, Wei; Li, Junjie; Wu, Lijun; Sears, Jennifer; Ji, Fuhao; Shen, Xiaozhe; Reid, Alex H; ... Dean, Mark PM; + view all (2022) Dual-stage structural response to quenching charge order in magnetite. Physical Review B , 106 (19) , Article 195131. 10.1103/physrevb.106.195131. Green open access

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Abstract

The Verwey transition in magnetite (Fe_{3}O_{4} ) is the prototypical metal-insulator transition and has eluded a comprehensive explanation for decades. A major element of the challenge is the complex interplay between charge order and lattice distortions. Here we use ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) to disentangle the roles of charge order and lattice distortions by tracking the transient structural evolution after charge order is melted via ultrafast photoexcitation. A dual-stage response is observed in which X_{3}, X_{1}, and Delta5-type structural distortions occur on markedly different timescales of 0.7–3.2 ps and longer than 3.2 ps. We propose that these distinct timescales arise because X_{3}-type distortions strongly couple to the trimeron charge order, whereas the Delta5- distortions are more strongly associated with monoclinic to cubic distortions of the overall lattice. Our work aids in clarifying the charge-lattice interplay using UED method and illustrates the disentanglement of the complex phases in magnetite.

Type: Article
Title: Dual-stage structural response to quenching charge order in magnetite
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.106.195131
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.106.195131
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > London Centre for Nanotechnology
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10160319
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