Magnetoelastic Coupling In Magnetically Frustrated Co3v2o8

An applied magnetic field offers the opportunity to drive new transitions and tune competing interactions in complex materials. Here, we employ magnetoinfrared spectroscopy to probe magnetic ordering-induced local lattice distortions through the series of field-induced transitions in the frustrated Kagome staircase material Co3V2O8. These experiments reveal that the most important local lattice distortion involves Co center displacement, mainly along the direction perpendicular to the buckled Kagome planes. This result is important for understanding the microscopic aspects of magnetically driven transitions in functional oxides.