Magnetic properties of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>RuO</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math> and charge-magnetic interference in Bragg diffraction of circularly polarized x-rays
S W Lovesey, D. D. Khalyavin, G. van der Laan
Abstract
Rutile-type ${\mathrm{RuO}}_{2}$ likely supports a simple antiferromagnetic structure which can be verified by x-ray Bragg diffraction. Three magnetic motifs that do not break translation symmetry are explored in calculations of amplitudes suitable for diffraction enhanced by tuning the primary x-ray energy to a ruthenium atomic resonance. Coupling to x-ray helicity through a charge-magnetic interference is common to all motifs, together with magnetic and charge intensities in quadrature in the rotated channel of polarization. Necessary conditions for these diffraction phenomena are a centrosymmetric crystal structure, null magnetic propagation vector, and absence of a linear magnetoelectric effect. Published x-ray diffraction data for ${\mathrm{RuO}}_{2}$ were analyzed by the authors against a magnetic motif that does not satisfy the conditions. A polarized neutron study of antiferromagnetic domains can be achieved with a sample that meets the stated crystal and magnetic symmetries.