Observation of two length scales in the magnetic critical fluctuations of holmium

Abstract

The short-ranged correlations associated with magneitc ordering in the rare earth antiferromagnet holmium have been characterized in high-resolution x-ray and neutron scattering studies. We find that within about 2 K of ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$, the magnetic fluctuations exhibit two length scales, instead of one as expected in an ideal system. This result is reminiscent of behavior observed at the cubic-to-tegragonal structural phase transitions of the perovskites.