A. Zorko, O. Adamopoulos, M. Komelj, D. Arćon, A. Lappas
We show that the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet $\alpha$-NaMnO$_2$ is endowed with a complex magnetostructurally inhomogeneous ground state, a result of intertwined spin and lattice degrees of freedom. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance and muon spin relaxation unveil that the magnetically frustrated monoclinic phase is disrupted by nanoscale regions of a triclinic structure. The magnetic order in the latter is uncorrelated with the monoclinic matrix, where bulk N\'eel order is initiated by the local-scale inhomogeneity. The phase separation is endorsed by frustration leading to quasi-elastic magnetic excitations that couple to competing structural phases.
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http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.5099
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