Quasi-two-dimensional spin-1/2 magnetism in $\alpha$-TeVO$_{4}$

$\alpha$-TeVO$_{4}$ is a monoclinic structure where four spin- 1/2 V$^{4+}$ ions per unit cell form chain-like structures extending along the b-axis. Using the new MACS spectrometer at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, we have carried out a comprehensive investigation of magnetism in this compound. The phase transition at T$_C$ = 16 K is to long range order that can be described as ferromagnetic planes stacked antiferromagnetically along the (1,0,$\bar{2}$) direction. Powder diffraction indicates moments oriented along b-axis with a magnitude of 0.81(3) $\mu_B$ at T=1.4 K. The inelastic scattering data reveal a strongly anisotropic magnon dispersion relation which is almost independent of wave vector transfer along (1,0,$\bar{2}$) at high energies. Work at JHU is supported by the DoE through DE-FG02-08ER46544.