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Huang YY, Xu Y, Wang L, Zhao CC, Tu CP, Ni JM, Wang LS, Pan BL, Fu Y, Hao Z, Liu C, Mei JW, Li SY. Heat Transport in Herbertsmithite: Can a Quantum Spin Liquid Survive Disorder? PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 127:267202. [PMID: 35029499 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.127.267202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
One 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}, we observed no contribution by any spin excitation nor obvious field-induced change to the thermal conductivity. These results impose strong constraints on various scenarios about the ground state of this kagome compound: while certain quantum paramagnetic states other than a QSL may serve as natural candidates, a QSL state, gapless or gapped, must be dramatically modified by the disorder so that the kagome spin excitations are localized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Y Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Y Xu
- Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Le Wang
- Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, and Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - C C Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - C P Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - J M Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - L S Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - B L Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Ying Fu
- Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, and Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhanyang Hao
- Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, and Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Cai Liu
- Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, and Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jia-Wei Mei
- Shenzhen Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, and Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Quantum Functional Materials and Devices, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - S Y Li
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, Shanghai 201315, China
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Abstract
Quantum spin liquids are an exciting playground for exotic physical phenomena and emergent many-body quantum states. The realization and discovery of quantum spin liquid candidate materials and associated phenomena lie at the intersection of solid-state chemistry, condensed matter physics, and materials science and engineering. In this review, we provide the current status of the crystal chemistry, synthetic techniques, physical properties, and research methods in the field of quantum spin liquids. We highlight a number of specific quantum spin liquid candidate materials and their structure-property relationships, elucidating their fascinating behavior and connecting it to the intricacies of their structures. Furthermore, we share our thoughts on defects and their inevitable presence in materials, of which quantum spin liquids are no exception, which can complicate the interpretation of characterization of these materials, and urge the community to extend their attention to materials preparation and data analysis, cognizant of the impact of defects. This review was written with the intention of providing guidance on improving the materials design and growth of quantum spin liquids, and to paint a picture of the beauty of the underlying chemistry of this exciting class of materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan R Chamorro
- Department of Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Institute for Quantum Matter, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Tyrel M McQueen
- Department of Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Institute for Quantum Matter, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Thao T Tran
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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Dressel M, Pustogow A. Electrodynamics of quantum spin liquids. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2018; 30:203001. [PMID: 29692367 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aabc1f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Quantum spin liquids attract great interest due to their exceptional magnetic properties characterized by the absence of long-range order down to low temperatures despite the strong magnetic interaction. Commonly, these compounds are strongly correlated electron systems, and their electrodynamic response is governed by the Mott gap in the excitation spectrum. Here we summarize and discuss the optical properties of several two-dimensional quantum spin liquid candidates. First we consider the inorganic material herbertsmithite ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 and related compounds, which crystallize in a kagome lattice. Then we turn to the organic compounds [Formula: see text]-EtMe3Sb[Pd(dmit)2]2, κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Ag2(CN)3 and κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu2(CN)3, where the spins are arranged in an almost perfect triangular lattice, leading to strong frustration. Due to differences in bandwidth, the effective correlation strength varies over a wide range, leading to a rather distinct behavior as far as the electrodynamic properties are concerned. We discuss the spinon contributions to the optical conductivity in comparison to metallic quantum fluctuations in the vicinity of the Mott transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Dressel
- 1. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany
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Zorko A, Herak M, Gomilšek M, van Tol J, Velázquez M, Khuntia P, Bert F, Mendels P. Symmetry Reduction in the Quantum Kagome Antiferromagnet Herbertsmithite. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 118:017202. [PMID: 28106444 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.017202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Employing complementary torque magnetometry and electron spin resonance on single crystals of herbertsmithite, the closest realization to date of a quantum kagome antiferromagnet featuring a spin-liquid ground state, we provide novel insight into different contributions to its magnetism. At low temperatures, two distinct types of defects with different magnetic couplings to the kagome spins are found. Surprisingly, their magnetic response contradicts the threefold symmetry of the ideal kagome lattice, suggesting the presence of a global structural distortion that may be related to the establishment of the spin-liquid ground state.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Zorko
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova c. 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - M Herak
- Institute of Physics, Bijenička c. 46, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - M Gomilšek
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova c. 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - J van Tol
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA
| | - M Velázquez
- CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, 87 Avenue du Dr. A. Schweitzer, 33608 Pessac Cedex, France
| | - P Khuntia
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - F Bert
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - P Mendels
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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Silverstein H, Sharma A, Cruz-Kan K, Zhou H, Huq A, Flacau R, Wiebe C. Complex long-range magnetic ordering in the Mn-bearing dugganite Pb3TeMn3P2O14. J SOLID STATE CHEM 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2013.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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