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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
09:00
Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
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Slater Insulator in Iridate Perovskites with Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling
1Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Physical Review Letters
|November 9, 2016
Summary
Substituting tin for iridium in SrIrO3 perovskites induces an antiferromagnetic insulating phase. This metal-insulator transition, driven by structural changes and reduced spin-orbit coupling, occurs at high temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Strontium iridium oxide (SrIrO3) is a narrow-band metal due to strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and electron correlations.
- Tuning these properties could lead to topological and magnetic insulating phases.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effects of tin (Sn) substitution for iridium (Ir) in SrIrO3 perovskites.
- Characterize the resulting electronic and magnetic phase transitions.
Main Methods:
- High-pressure synthesis of SrIr1-xSnxO3 perovskites.
- X-ray diffraction for structural analysis.
- Neutron powder diffraction for magnetic ordering.
- Specific heat and magnetic susceptibility measurements.
Main Results:
- Sn substitution induces a second-order metal-insulator transition to an antiferromagnetic (AF) phase at T_N ≥ 225 K.
- Octahedral site distortion increases, reducing SOC relative to spin-spin exchange.
- Type-G AF spin ordering and an electron gap opening at the Brillouin zone boundary are observed below T_N.
Conclusions:
- Tin substitution effectively tunes the electronic and magnetic properties of SrIrO3.
- The observed metal-insulator transition is driven by structural distortions and changes in magnetic interactions.
- This provides a route to achieving insulating phases in iridate perovskites.
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