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Register a new userFreezing of a disorder induced quantum spin liquid
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$rm{Sr_2CuTe_{0.5}W_{0.5}O_6}$ is a square-lattice magnet with super-exchange between S=1/2 $rm{Cu^{2+}}$ spins mediated by randomly distributed Te and W ions. Here, using sub-K temperature and 20 $rm{mu}$eV energy resolution neutron scattering experiments we show that this system transits from a gapless disorder-induced quantum spin liquid to a new quantum state below $rm{T_f}$ = 1.7(1) K, exhibiting a weak frozen moment of <S>/S ~ 0.1 and low energy dynamic susceptibility,${chi}({hbaromega})$ linear in energy which is surprising for such a weak freezing in this highly fluctuating quantum regime.
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We report 17O NMR measurements in the S=1/2 Cu2+ kagome antiferromagnet Herbertsmithite ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 down to 45mK in magnetic fields ranging from 2T to 12T. While Herbertsmithite displays a gapless spin-liquid behavior in zero field, we uncover an instability toward a spin-solid phase at sub-kelvin temperature induced by an applied magnetic field. The latter phase shows largely suppressed moments $lesssim 0.1muB$ and gapped excitations. The H-T phase diagram suggests the existence of a quantum critical point at the small but finite magnetic field mu0 Hc=1.55(25)T. We discuss this finding in light of the perturbative Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction which was theoretically proposed to sustain a quantum critical regime for the quantum kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet model.
The Kitaev model on a honeycomb lattice predicts a paradigmatic quantum spin liquid (QSL) exhibiting Majorana Fermion excitations. The insight that Kitaev physics might be realized in practice has stimulated investigations of candidate materials, recently including alpha-RuCl3. In all the systems studied to date, non-Kitaev interactions induce magnetic order at low temperature. However, in-plane magnetic fields of roughly 8 Tesla suppress the long-range magnetic order in alpha-RuCl3 raising the intriguing possibility of a field-induced QSL exhibiting non-Abelian quasiparticle excitations. Here we present inelastic neutron scattering in alpha-RuCl3 in an applied magnetic field. At a field of 8 Tesla, the spin waves characteristic of the ordered state vanish throughout the Brillouin zone. The remaining single dominant feature of the response is a broad continuum centered at the Gamma point, previously identified as a signature of fractionalized excitations. This provides compelling evidence that a field-induced QSL state has been achieved.
Spin freezing in the $A$-site spinel FeAl$_2$O$_4$ which is a spin liquid candidate is studied using remnant magnetization and nonlinear magnetic susceptibility and isofield cooling and heating protocols. The remnant magnetization behavior of FeAl$_2$O$_4$ differs significantly from that of a canonical spin glass which is also supported by analysis of the nonlinear magnetic susceptibility term $chi_3 (T)$. Through the power-law analysis of $chi_3 (T)$, a spin-freezing temperature, $T_g$ = 11.4$pm$0.9~K and critical exponent, $gamma$ = 1.48$pm$0.59 are obtained. Cole-Cole analysis of magnetic susceptibility shows the presence of broad spin relaxation times in FeAl$_2$O$_4$, however, the irreversible dc susceptibility plot discourages an interpretation based on conventional spin glass features. The magnetization measured using the cooling-and-heating-in-unequal-fields protocol brings more insight to the magnetic nature of this frustrated magnet and reveals unconventional glassy behaviour. Combining our results, we arrive at the conclusion that the present sample of FeAl$_2$O$_4$ consists of a majority spin liquid phase with glassy regions embedded.
Quantum spin liquids (QSLs) are an exotic state of matter that is subject to extensive research. However, the relationship between the ubiquitous disorder and the QSL behaviors is still unclear. Here, by performing comparative experimental studies on two kagom{e}-lattice QSL candidates, Tm$_3$Sb$_3$Zn$_2$O$_{14}$ and Tm$_3$Sb$_3$Mg$_2$O$_{14}$, which are isostructural to each other but with strong and weak structural disorder, respectively, we show unambiguously that the disorder can induce spin-liquid-like features. In particular, both compounds show dominant antiferromagnetic interactions with a Curie-Weiss temperature of -17.4 and -28.7 K for Tm$_3$Sb$_3$Zn$_2$O$_{14}$ and Tm$_3$Sb$_3$Mg$_2$O$_{14}$, respectively, but remain disordered down to about 0.05 K. Specific heat results suggest the presence of gapless magnetic excitations characterized by a residual linear term. Magnetic excitation spectra obtained by inelastic neutron scattering (INS) at low temperatures display broad continua. All these observations are consistent with those of a QSL. However, we find in Tm$_3$Sb$_3$Zn$_2$O$_{14}$ which has strong disorder resulting from the random mixing of the magnetic Tm$^{3+}$ and nonmagnetic Zn$^{2+}$, that the low-energy magnetic excitations observed in the specific heat and INS measurements are substantially enhanced, compared to those of Tm$_3$Sb$_3$Mg$_2$O$_{14}$ which has much less disorder. We believe that the effective spins of the Tm$^{3+}$ ions in the Zn$^{2+}$/Mg$^{2+}$ sites give rise to the low-energy magnetic excitations, and the amount of the random occupancy determines the excitation strength. These results provide direct evidence of the mimicry of a QSL caused by disorder.
Arguably the most favorable situation for spins to enter the long-sought quantum spin liquid (QSL) state is when they sit on a kagome lattice. No consensus has been reached in theory regarding the true ground state of this promising platform. The experimental efforts, relying mostly on one archetypal material ZnCu$_3$(OH)$_6$Cl$_2$, have also led to diverse possibilities. Apart from subtle interactions in the Hamiltonian, there is the additional degree of complexity associated with disorder in the real material ZnCu$_3$(OH)$_6$Cl$_2$ that haunts most experimental probes. Here we resort to heat transport measurement, a cleaner probe in which instead of contributing directly, the disorder only impacts the signal from the kagome spins. For ZnCu$_3$(OH)$_6$Cl$_2$ and a related QSL candidate Cu$_3$Zn(OH)$_6$FBr, we observed no contribution by any spin excitation nor any field-induced change to the thermal conductivity. These results impose different constraints on various scenarios about the ground state of these two kagome compounds: while a gapped QSL, or certain quantum paramagnetic state other than a QSL, is compatible with our results, a gapless QSL must be dramatically modified by the disorder so that gapless spin excitations are localized.
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