In the investigation of correlated electron systems which are characterized by strong spin-orbit coupling, one of the central challenges is the description of the complex interplay of different microscopic energy scales and the elucidation of its influence on the formation of exotic electronic phases like complex ordering phenomena and superconductivity. In the present thesis, exemplary three case studies of iridium-based compounds are presented, in which the effects of such an interplay have been investigated employing state-of-the-art synchrotron-based techniques. The particular focus is set on experimental possibilities to influence this equilibrium utilizing external parameters.
In the first study, magnetic excitations are investigated in iridate double perovskites, which exhibit a nonmagnetic ground state. Upon increasing the influence of kinetic contributions, the potential condensation of these excitations is predicted to drive a novel kind of magnetic transitions, called ’excitonic magnetism’. A comprehensive investigation of the dynamics of these excitations via resonant inelastic x-ray scattering allows for an estimation of the relevant energy scales. These results indeed reveal that the influence of kinetic contributions is too small to drive such a transition under ambient conditions. Therefore the influence of excitonic magnetism on the macroscopic properties of the investigated compounds can be excluded.
In the second case, the development of a new experimental setup is presented, facilitating the investigation of complex ordering phenomena at low temperatures as a function of pressure via resonant elastic x-ray scattering. This setup has been developed and implemented as part of this work in strong collaboration with the staff of the beamline P09 at the synchrotron PETRAIII (DESY). The functionality of this setup has been illustrated by measurements of the resonant magnetic x-ray scattering in the spin-orbit coupled Mott-insulator Sr 2IrO4. Since the magnetic ground state and magnetic order in iridates result from a complex interplay of different microscopic energy scales, these systems are particularly susceptible to external influences like hydrostatic pressure.
In the third case, structural phase transitions are investigated in the iridium-based dichalcogenide IrTe2. Despite the macroscopic itinerant properties of IrTe2, the phase transitions are characterized by the formation of strongly localized states. These transitions have been investigated in the course of this work using single crystal x-ray diffraction experiments as a function of hydrostatic pressure and temperature. The presented experimental data show that these strongly localized states are stabilized with increasing pressure, which is observed as an increased density of Ir-Ir dimer bonds.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:74796 |
| Date | 05 May 2021 |
| Creators | Kusch, Maximilian |
| Contributors | Geck, Jochen, Grüninger, Markus, Technische Universität Dresden |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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