  By means of neutron scattering measurements, we have investigated spin-wave
excitation in a collinear four-sublattice (4SL) magnetic ground state of a
triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO2, which has been of recent interest as
a strongly frustrated magnet, a spin-lattice coupled system and a multiferroic.
To avoid mixing of spin-wave spectrum from magnetic domains having three
different orientations reflecting trigonal symmetry of the crystal structure,
we have applied uniaxial pressure on [1-10] direction of a single crystal
CuFeO2. By elastic neutron scattering measurements, we have found that only 10
MPa of the uniaxial pressure results in almost 'single domain' state in the 4SL
phase. We have thus performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements using
the single domain sample, and have identified two distinct spin- wave branches.
The dispersion relation of the upper spin-wave branch cannot be explained by
the previous theoretical model [R. S. Fishman: J. Appl. Phys. 103 (2008)
07B109]. This implies the importance of the lattice degree of freedom in the
spin-wave excitation in this system, because the previous calculation neglected
the effect of the spin-driven lattice distortion in the 4SL phase. We have also
discussed relationship between the present results and the recently discovered
"electromagnon" excitation.
