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Hong X, Gillig M, Hanna ARN, Chillal S, Islam ATMN, Lake B, Büchner B, Hess C. Spinon Heat Transport in the Three-Dimensional Quantum Magnet PbCuTe_{2}O_{6}. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:256701. [PMID: 38181358 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.256701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Quantum spin liquids (QSLs) are novel phases of matter which remain quantum disordered even at the lowest temperature. They are characterized by emergent gauge fields and fractionalized quasiparticles. Here we show that the sub-kelvin thermal transport of the three-dimensional S=1/2 hyperhyperkagome quantum magnet PbCuTe_{2}O_{6} is governed by a sizeable charge-neutral fermionic contribution which is compatible with the itinerant fractionalized excitations of a spinon Fermi surface. We demonstrate that this hallmark feature of the QSL state is remarkably robust against sample crystallinity, large magnetic field, and field-induced magnetic order, ruling out the imitation of QSL features by extrinsic effects. Our findings thus reveal the characteristic low-energy features of PbCuTe_{2}O_{6} which qualify this compound as a true QSL material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Hong
- Fakultät für Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Gaußstraße 20, 42119 Wuppertal, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW-Dresden), Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthias Gillig
- Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW-Dresden), Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Abanoub R N Hanna
- Institut für Festkörperforschung, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany
| | - Shravani Chillal
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany
| | - A T M Nazmul Islam
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bella Lake
- Institut für Festkörperforschung, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Büchner
- Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW-Dresden), Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Solid State and Materials Physics and Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Hess
- Fakultät für Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Gaußstraße 20, 42119 Wuppertal, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW-Dresden), Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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Ni JM, Pan BL, Song BQ, Huang YY, Zeng JY, Yu YJ, Cheng EJ, Wang LS, Dai DZ, Kato R, Li SY. Absence of Magnetic Thermal Conductivity in the Quantum Spin Liquid Candidate EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2}. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:247204. [PMID: 31922852 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.247204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We present the ultralow-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements on single crystals of triangular-lattice compound EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2}, which has long been considered as a gapless quantum spin liquid candidate. In specific heat measurements, a finite linear term is observed, consistent with the previous work [S. Yamashita et al., Nat. Commun. 2, 275 (2011)NCAOBW2041-172310.1038/ncomms1274]. However, we do not observe a finite residual linear term in the thermal conductivity measurements, and the thermal conductivity does not change in a magnetic field of 6 T. These results are in sharp contrast to previous thermal conductivity measurements on EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2} [M. Yamashita et al., Science 328, 1246 (2010)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.1188200], in which a huge residual linear term was observed and attributed to highly mobile gapless excitations, likely the spinons of a quantum spin liquid. In this context, the true ground state of EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2} has to be reconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - B L Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - B Q Song
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Y Y Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - J Y Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Y J Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - E J Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - L S Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - D Z Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - R Kato
- RIKEN, Condensed Molecular Materials Laboratory, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - S Y Li
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
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Riedl K, Valentí R, Winter SM. Critical spin liquid versus valence-bond glass in a triangular-lattice organic antiferromagnet. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2561. [PMID: 31189897 PMCID: PMC6561973 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10604-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the quest for materials with unconventional quantum phases, the organic triangular-lattice antiferromagnet κ-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3 has been extensively discussed as a quantum spin liquid (QSL) candidate. The description of its low temperature properties has become, however, a particularly challenging task. Recently, an intriguing quantum critical behaviour was suggested from low-temperature magnetic torque experiments. Here we highlight significant deviations of the experimental observations from a quantum critical scenario by performing a microscopic analysis of all anisotropic contributions, including Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya and multi-spin scalar chiral interactions. Instead, we show that disorder-induced spin defects provide a comprehensive explanation of the low-temperature properties. These spins are attributed to valence bond defects that emerge spontaneously as the QSL enters a valence-bond glass phase at low temperature. This theoretical treatment is applicable to a general class of frustrated magnetic systems and has important implications for the interpretation of magnetic torque, nuclear magnetic resonance, thermal transport and thermodynamic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Riedl
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Roser Valentí
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephen M Winter
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Low-Temperature Lattice Effects in the Spin-Liquid Candidate κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu2(CN)3. CRYSTALS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst8020087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Xu Y, Zhang J, Li YS, Yu YJ, Hong XC, Zhang QM, Li SY. Absence of Magnetic Thermal Conductivity in the Quantum Spin-Liquid Candidate YbMgGaO_{4}. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 117:267202. [PMID: 28059548 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.117.267202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We present the ultralow-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements on single crystals of YbMgGaO_{4}, which was recently argued to be a promising candidate for a quantum spin liquid (QSL). In a zero magnetic field, a large magnetic contribution of specific heat is observed, and exhibits a power-law temperature dependence (C_{m}∼T^{0.74}). On the contrary, we do not observe any significant contribution of thermal conductivity from magnetic excitations. In magnetic fields H≥6 T, the exponential T dependence of C_{m} and the enhanced thermal conductivity indicate a magnon gap of the fully polarized state. The absence of magnetic thermal conductivity at the zero field in this QSL candidate puts a strong constraint on the theories of its ground state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - J Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Y S Li
- Department of Physics, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
- Experimental Physics VI, Center for Electronic Correlations and Magnetism, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Y J Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - X C Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Q M Zhang
- Department of Physics, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - S Y Li
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
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Starykh OA. Unusual ordered phases of highly frustrated magnets: a review. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2015; 78:052502. [PMID: 25892088 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/78/5/052502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We review ground states and excitations of a quantum antiferromagnet on triangular and other frustrated lattices. We pay special attention to the combined effects of magnetic field h, spatial anisotropy R and spin magnitude S. The focus of the review is on the novel collinear spin density wave and spin nematic states, which are characterized by fully gapped transverse spin excitations with S(z) = ± 1. We discuss extensively the R - h phase diagram of the antiferromagnet, both in the large-S semiclassical limit and the quantum S = 1/2 limit. When possible, we point out connections with experimental findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg A Starykh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0830, USA
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