Possible realization of three-dimensional quantum spin liquid behavior in HoVO4

TL;DR

This paper investigates HoVO4, revealing it exhibits characteristics of a three-dimensional quantum spin liquid, including lack of long-range order, short-range correlations, and power-law heat capacity behavior, supported by experimental and theoretical analyses.

Contribution

The study provides evidence that HoVO4 can realize a 3D quantum spin liquid state through combined experimental measurements and density functional theory calculations.

Findings

Absence of long-range magnetic order in HoVO4.

Presence of short-range correlations below 10 K.

Power-law heat capacity behavior with exponent ~2.

Abstract

The study of geometrically frustrated magnetic systems with unusual crystal field ground states offers a possibility of realizing the new aspects of physics of disordered systems. In this study, we report our results of structural, magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity measurements, along with density functional theory calculations on HoVO4; a compound in which the presence of a distorted kind of HoO8 polyhedral leads to multiple magnetic interaction paths. The observed broad maximum below 10 K in the temperature response of DC susceptibility curves implies the presence of short-range correlations. AC susceptibility rules out the possibility of any kind of spin freezing. Temperature dependent heat capacity measurement at zero field indicate towards the absence of long-range ordering, along with the presence of a broad maximum centered around 14 K. The residual heat capacity exhibits a characteristic power-law (T{\alpha}) behavior with the exponent {\alpha} nearly equal to 2, which is analogous to that observed for other 3D quantum spin liquid systems. The density functional theory calculations signify the presence of dominant second and third nearest neighbor interactions, which in turn lead to magnetic frustration in our system. Our investigations suggest that HoVO4 can be a candidate for realizing a 3D quantum spin liquid state.