Quantum Spin Liquid State in the Disordered Triangular Lattice Sc2Ga2CuO7

TL;DR

This study reveals that the disordered triangular lattice compound Sc2Ga2CuO7 hosts a gapless quantum spin liquid state characterized by persistent spin dynamics, short-range correlations, and no magnetic order down to very low temperatures.

Contribution

First detailed microscopic investigation of a disordered triangular lattice revealing a gapless quantum spin liquid state driven by frustration and disorder.

Findings

Absence of long-range magnetic order down to 50 mK.

Presence of gapless spin excitations indicated by power law behavior.

Evidence of persistent spin dynamics and short-range correlations.

Abstract

We present microscopic magnetic properties of a two dimensional triangular lattice Sc2Ga2CuO7, consisting of single and double triangular Cu planes. A Curie-Weiss temperature theta_CW = --44 K and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange interaction J/KB = 35 K between Cu2+ (S = 1/2) spins in the triangular bi-plane are obtained from the analysis of magnetic susceptibility data. The intrinsic magnetic susceptibility extracted from 71Ga NMR shift data displays the presence of AFM short range spin correlations and remains finite down to 50 mK suggesting an non-singlet ground state. The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T1) reveals a slowing down of Cu2+ spin fluctuations with decreasing T down to 100 mK. Magnetic specific heat (Cm) and 1/T1 exhibit a power law behavior at low temperatures implying gapless nature of the spin excitation spectrum. Absence of long range magnetic ordering down to ~ J/700, nonzero spin susceptibility at low T, and power law behavior of Cm and 1/T1 suggest a gapless quantum spin liquid (QSL) state. Our results demonstrate that persistent spin dynamics induced by frustration maintain a quantum-disordered state at T -> 0 in this triangular lattice antiferromagnet. This suggests that the low energy modes are dominated by spinon excitations in the QSL state due to randomness engendered by disorder and frustration.