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Long-range and short-range magnetic correlations, and microscopic origin of net magnetization in the spin-1 trimer chain compound CaNi3P4O14

Spin-spin correlations and microscopic origin of net magnetization in the spin-1 trimer chain compound CaNi3P4O14 have been investigated by powder neutron diffraction. The present study reveals a 3D long-range magnetic ordering below 16 K where the magnetic structure consists of ferromagnetic trimers that are coupled ferromagnetically along the spin-chain. The moment components along the a and c axes arrange antiferromagnetically. Our study establishes that the uncompensated moment components along the b axis result in a net magnetization per unit cell. The magnetic structure, determined in the present study, is in agreement with the results of recent first principles calculation; however, it is in contrast to a fascinating experimental prediction of ferrimagnetic ordering based on the periodicity of the exchange interactions in CaNi3P4O14. Our study also confirms the presence of broad diffuse magnetic scattering, due to 1D short-range spin-spin correlations, over a wide temperature range below ~50 K down to a temperature well below the Tc. Total neutron scattering analysis by the RMC method reveals that the dominating spin-spin correlation above Tc is ferromagnetic and along the b axis. The nearest neighbour spin-spin correlations along the a and c axes are found to be weakly antiferromagnetic. The nature of the trimer spin structure of the short-range state is similar to that of the 3D long-range ordered state. The present investigation of microscopic nature of the magnetic ground state also explains the condition required for the 1/3 magnetization plateau to be observed in the trimer spin-chains. In spite of the S=1 trimer chain system, the present compound CaNi3P4O14 is found to be a good realization of 3D magnet below the Tc=16 K with full ordered moment values of ~2 mu_B/Ni2+ (1.98 and 1.96 mu_B/Ni2+ for two Ni sites, respectively) at 1.5 K.