Competing spin fluctuations and trace of vortex dynamics in the two-dimensional triangular-lattice antiferromagnet AgCrS2

J Phys Condens Matter. 2018 Jul 4;30(26):265802. doi: 10.1088/1361-648X/aac622. Epub 2018 May 18.

Abstract

The spin dynamics of the two-dimensional triangular-lattice antiferromagnet AgCrS2 is investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The g-factor is found to show an unusual non-monotonously temperature dependent behavior, which, along with the super-Curie behavior observed in the ESR intensity data, provides clear evidence for the competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic fluctuations at temperatures well above T N. On approaching the Néel temperature T N from above, the linewidth is found to diverge. Such a divergent behavior could be well described by the Kawamura-Miyashita model due to Z2 type magnetic vortex-antivortex pairing, which is consistent with the expectation for a 2D Heisenberg magnetic system.