Rods of Neutron Scattering Intensity in Yb2Ti2O7: Compelling Evidence for Significant Anisotropic Exchange in a Magnetic Pyrochlore Oxide

Understand

Paramagnetic correlations in the magnetic material Yb2Ti2O7 have been investigated via neutron scattering, revealing a [111] rod of scattering intensity.

• Assuming interactions between the Yb^{3+} ions composed of all symmetry-allowed nearest neighbor exchange interactions and long-range dipolar interactions, we construct a model Hamiltonian that allows for an excellent description of the neutron scattering data.
• Our results provide compelling evidence for significant anisotropic exchange interactions in an insulating magnetic pyrochlore oxide.
• We also compute the real space correlations leading to the [111] rod of scattering.