Crystal structure, magnetic properties and elementary excitations of copper(II) oxide.

Abstract

The copper oxide CuO (tenorite) can be considered the building block of superconductors at high critical temperatures, and therefore has attracted constant interest, presenting two distinct magnetic phases and multiferroic behavior at low temperatures. This material has elementary excitations involving a combination of magnetic and electrical degrees of freedom (so-called electromagnons), which however have not yet been investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The objective of this work involves the preparation, characterization and investigation of the elementary excitations of CuO, through Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and magnetic susceptibility measurements, aiming to contribute to the understanding of the interesting physical properties of this material.