Diluting a triangular-lattice spin liquid: Synthesis and characterization of NaYb1xLuxS2 single crystals

Ellen Häußler, Jörg Sichelschmidt, Michael Baenitz, Eric C. Andrade, Matthias Vojta, and Thomas Doert
Phys. Rev. Materials 6, 046201 – Published 20 April 2022
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Abstract

Yb-based magnets, with a perfect triangular lattice of pseudospin-12Yb3+ ions, have emerged as candidates for realizing a quantum spin-liquid state, with NaYbS2 being a prominent example. Here, we present the solid-solution series NaYb1xLuxS2 with well-defined single crystals over the entire substitution range 0x1. Chemical and structural analysis indicate a statistically homogeneous replacement of Yb3+ by Lu3+ ions. We magnetically characterize the relatively small single crystals using electron spin resonance (ESR). Below 30K, the ESR intensity can be well described by a Curie-Weiss function for all x, with a decreasing Weiss temperature with increasing Lu content. This reduction of the average magnetic interaction upon Lu substitution is also supported by magnetization measurements. Importantly, no signs of magnetic or spin-glass order are detected down to 2K for any x. For x>0.5, the ESR linewidth strongly increases, indicating the breakup of the magnetic system into disconnected clusters, as expected from percolation physics. The experimental magnetization data are found to be in good agreement for all x with results of classical Monte Carlo simulations for a triangular-lattice Heisenberg model, amended with a small second-neighbor interaction. Taken together, our results establish NaYb1xLuxS2 as a family of diluted triangular-lattice spin liquids.

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  • Received 19 January 2022
  • Revised 3 March 2022
  • Accepted 4 April 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.046201

©2022 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Ellen Häußler1, Jörg Sichelschmidt2, Michael Baenitz2, Eric C. Andrade3, Matthias Vojta4, and Thomas Doert1,*

  • 1Fakultät für Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
  • 2Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (MPI-CPfS), 01187 Dresden, Germany
  • 3Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, C.P. 369, São Carlos, São Paulo 13560-970, Brazil
  • 4Institut für Theoretische Physik and Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany

  • *thomas.doert@tu-dresden.de

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Issue

Vol. 6, Iss. 4 — April 2022

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