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Article Dans Une Revue Physical Review Letters Année : 2019

Thermodynamic Evidence of Proximity to a Kitaev Spin Liquid in Ag3LiIr2O6

Résumé

Kitaev magnets are materials with bond-dependent Ising interactions between localized spins on a honeycomb lattice. Such interactions could lead to a quantum spin-liquid (QSL) ground state at zero temperature. Recent theoretical studies suggest two potential signatures of a QSL at finite temperatures, namely, a scaling behavior of thermodynamic quantities in the presence of quenched disorder, and a two-step release of the magnetic entropy. Here, we present both signatures in Ag3LiIr2O6 which is synthesized from alpha-Li2IrO3 by replacing the interlayer Li atoms with Ag atoms. In addition, the dc susceptibility data confirm the absence of a long-range order, and the ac susceptibility data rule out a spin-glass transition. These observations suggest a closer proximity to the QSL in Ag3LiIr2O6 compared to its parent compound alpha-Li2IrO3 that orders at 15 K. We discuss an enhanced spin-orbit coupling due to a mixing between silver d and oxygen p orbitals as a potential underlying mechanism.

Dates et versions

hal-02438556 , version 1 (14-01-2020)

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Faranak Bahrami, William Lafargue-Dit-Hauret, Oleg I. Lebedev, Roman Movshovich, Hung-Yu Yang, et al.. Thermodynamic Evidence of Proximity to a Kitaev Spin Liquid in Ag3LiIr2O6. Physical Review Letters, 2019, 123 (23), pp.237203. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.237203⟩. ⟨hal-02438556⟩
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