Spin fluctuations in the stacked-triangular antiferromagnet YMnO3

Abstract

The spectrum of spin fluctuations in the stacked-triangular antiferromagnet YMnO3 was studied above the Néel temperature using both unpolarized and polarized inelastic neutron scattering. We find an in-plane and an out-of-plane excitation. The in-plane mode has two components just above T N : a resolution-limited central peak and a Debye-like contribution. The quasi-elastic fluctuations have a line width that increases with q as Dq z and the dynamical exponent z = 2.3. The out-of-plane fluctuations have a gap at the magnetic zone center and do not show any appreciable q dependence at small wave vectors.