Quantum critical spin-liquid-like behavior in the quasikagome-lattice compound investigated using muon spin relaxation and neutron scattering
Aug 1, 2022
17 pages
Published in:
- Phys.Rev.B 106 (2022) 6, 064436
- Published: Aug 1, 2022
e-Print:
- 2208.03148 [cond-mat.str-el]
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.106.064436 (publication)
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Abstract: (APS)
We present the results of muon spin relaxation () and neutron scattering on the Ce-based quasikagome lattice ( to 0.75). Our zero-field (ZF) results reveal the absence of both static long-range magnetic order and spin freezing down to 0.05 K in the single-crystal sample of . The weak temperature-dependent plateaus of the dynamic spin fluctuations below 0.2 K in ZF- together with its longitudinal-field (LF) dependence between 0 and 3 kG indicate the presence of dynamic spin fluctuations persisting even at without static magnetic order. On the other hand, the magnetic specific heat divided by temperature increases as on cooling below 0.9 K, passes through a broad maximum at 0.13 K, and slightly decreases on further cooling. The ac susceptibility also exhibits a frequency-independent broad peak at 0.16 K, which is prominent with an applied field along the direction. We, therefore, argue that such a behavior for [namely, a plateau in spin relaxation rate () below 0.2 K and a linear dependence in below 0.13 K] can be attributed to a metallic spin-liquid-like ground state near the quantum critical point in the frustrated Kondo lattice. The LF- study suggests that the out of kagome plane spin fluctuations are responsible for the spin-liquid (SL) behavior. Low-energy inelastic neutron scattering (INS) of reveals gapless magnetic excitations, which are also supported by the behavior of proportional to down to 0.06 K. Our high-energy INS study shows very weak and broad scattering in and 0.1, which transforms into well-localized crystal-field excitations with increasing . The ZF- results for the polycrystalline sample exhibit similar behavior to that of . A saturation of below 0.2 K suggests a spin-fluctuating SL ground state down to 0.05 K. The ZF- results for the sample are interpreted as a long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state below , in which the AFM interaction of the enlarged moments probably overcomes the frustration effect. The long-range AFM ordering is also supported by the evolution of magnetic Bragg peaks in sample observed below 5 K in the neutron diffraction data.Note:
- 19 pages and 9 figures
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Figures(21)
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