Effect of dipolar interaction on the antiferromagnetic resonance spectra of NiO

JULIAN MILANO; STEREN, L. B.; GRIMSDITCH, M.

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Año: 2004 vol. 93 p. 77601 - 77601

0031-9007

We have investigated the antiferromagnetic (AF) resonance modes (AFMR) of NiO, theoretically using a model that includes the effects of exchange, dipolar coupling, and a small cubic anisotropy, and experimentally using Brillouin scattering. Using only superexchange between next nearest Ni atoms the model accounts for the observed AF structure with a [11] spin orientation. The model predicts that there are four, weakly coupled, AF lattices that should therefore exhibit eight AFMR modes. Because of degeneracies, only five distinct frequencies are predicted by the model. Three of these frequencies are consistent with the doublet observed by Raman scattering and the central peak reported in Brillouin experiments. Using Brillouin scattering we report the observation of the two missing modes.