Magnetic excitation spectrum ofLuFe2O4measured with inelastic neutron scattering

We report neutron inelastic-scattering measurements and analysis of the spectrum of magnons propagating within the Fe2O4 bilayers of LuFe2O4. The observed spectrum is consistent with six magnetic modes and a single prominent gap, which is compatible with a single bilayer magnetic unit cell containing six spins. We model the magnon dispersion by linear spin-wave theory and find very good agreement with the domain-averaged spectrum of a spin-charge bilayer superstructure comprising one Fe3+-rich monolayer and one Fe2+-rich monolayer. These findings indicate the existence of polar bilayers in LuFe2O4. We also discuss a model of charge-segregated nonpolar bilayer order which we argue is not consistent with our data but which we cannot exclude definitively. Weak scattering observed below the magnon gap suggests that a fraction of the bilayers contain other combinations of charged monolayers not included in the model. Refined values for the dominant exchange interactions are reported.