Field tunable spin/orbital correlations in Ca-based ruthenates

We consider the field response of correlated t(2g) electrons within the layered Ca-based ruthenates. Our analysis shows that, as a consequence of a fine interplay between the spin-orbit interaction and the octahedral distortions, the application of the field along different directions can bring to polarized configurations with inequivatent spin and orbital character. In particular, we underline how such behavior manifests at the boundary between an antiferromagnetic state with ferro-type orbital correlations, and a ferromagnetic configuration with an antiferro-type orbital character. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.