Phonon anomaly in Sm2BaNiO5

Abstract

Abstract We present low-temperature far-infrared study of Sm2BaNiO5. The lowest-frequency phonon of Sm2BaNiO5 generated by the motion of the Sm3+ ion demonstrates anomalous behaviour at temperatures lower than the Néel temperature, T<T N=55 K. This phonon hardens at the magnetic ordering although its frequency shift does not follow the magnetic order parameter. The observed phenomenon is responsible for an unusual dielectric response of Sm2BaNiO5 reported in the literature. A correlation between the temperature behaviour of crystal-field levels and the phonon anomaly is discussed.