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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Spin dynamics and possible topological magnons in the nonstoichiometric pyrochlore iridate Tb2Ir2O7 studied by RIXS

Q. Faure1,2,3,*, A. Toschi1,4, J. R. Soh5,4, E. Lhotel6, B. Detlefs1, D. Prabhakaran7, D. F. McMorrow3, and Ch. J. Sahle1

  • *Contact author: quentin.faure@cea.fr

Phys. Rev. B 110, L140401 – Published 1 October, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.110.L140401

Abstract

We report on a resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study on a single crystal of a nonstoichiometric pyrochlore iridate Tb2+xIr2−xO7−y (x≃0.25) that magnetically orders at TN≃50 K. We observe a propagating gapped magnon mode at low energy and model it using a Hamiltonian consisting of a Heisenberg exchange [J=16.2(9)meV] and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions [D=5.2(3)meV], which shows the robustness of interactions despite Tb stuffing at the Ir site. Strikingly, the ratio D/J=0.32(3) supports possible nontrivial topological magnon band crossing. This material may thus host coexisting fermionic and bosonic topology, with potential for manipulating electronic and magnonic topological bands thanks to the d−f interaction.

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