Spin, orbital ordering, and magnetic dynamics of LaVO3:: Magnetization, heat capacity, and neutron scattering studies

We report the results of magnetization, heat capacity, and neutron scattering studies of LaVO(3) single crystals. From the neutron-diffraction studies, it was found that the compound is magnetically ordered with a C-type antiferromagnetic spin structure at about 136 K. In the vicinity of the ordering temperature, we also observed hysteresis in the neutron-diffraction data measured on cooling and heating which indicates the first-order nature of the phase transition. In the antiferromagnetically ordered phase, the inelastic neutron scattering studies reveal the presence of a temperature independent c-axis spin-wave gap of about 6 meV which is similar to that previously reported for the sister compound YVO(3).