Piezomagnetism and magnetoelastic memory in uranium dioxide

M. Jaime (), A. Saul (), M. Salamon, V. S. Zapf, N. Harrison, T. Durakiewicz, J. C. Lashley, D. A. Andersson, C. R. Stanek, J. L. Smith and K. Gofryk ()
Additional contact information
M. Jaime: Los Alamos National Laboratory
A. Saul: Aix-Marseille University, CINaM-CNRS UMR 7325 Campus de Luminy
M. Salamon: Los Alamos National Laboratory
V. S. Zapf: Los Alamos National Laboratory
N. Harrison: Los Alamos National Laboratory
T. Durakiewicz: Los Alamos National Laboratory
J. C. Lashley: Los Alamos National Laboratory
D. A. Andersson: MST-8, Los Alamos National Laboratory
C. R. Stanek: MST-8, Los Alamos National Laboratory
J. L. Smith: Sigma Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory
K. Gofryk: Idaho National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The thermal and magnetic properties of uranium dioxide, a prime nuclear fuel and thoroughly studied actinide material, remain a long standing puzzle, a result of strong coupling between magnetism and lattice vibrations. The magnetic state of this cubic material is characterized by a 3-k non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure and multidomain Jahn-Teller distortions, likely related to its anisotropic thermal properties. Here we show that single crystals of uranium dioxide subjected to strong magnetic fields along threefold axes in the magnetic state exhibit the abrupt appearance of positive linear magnetostriction, leading to a trigonal distortion. Upon reversal of the field the linear term also reverses sign, a hallmark of piezomagnetism. A switching phenomenon occurs at ±18 T, which persists during subsequent field reversals, demonstrating a robust magneto-elastic memory that makes uranium dioxide the hardest piezomagnet known. A model including a strong magnetic anisotropy, elastic, Zeeman, Heisenberg exchange, and magnetoelastic contributions to the total energy is proposed.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00096-4

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