Pyrochlore NaYbO2: A potential Quantum Spin Liquid Candidate

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of beta-NaYbO2, a pyrochlore-lattice material that shows potential as a quantum spin liquid candidate due to its lack of magnetic order down to very low temperatures.

Contribution

The study synthesizes and characterizes beta-NaYbO2, establishing its pyrochlore structure and revealing its potential as a quantum spin liquid candidate through magnetic measurements.

Findings

No long-range magnetic order down to 0.4 K

Low spin frustration factor of 17.5

Magnetic field induces spin ordering

Abstract

The search for quantum spin liquids (QSL) and chemical doping in such materials to explore superconductivity have continuously attracted intense interest. Here, we report the discovery of a potential QSL candidate, pyrochlore-lattice beta-NaYbO2. Colorless and transparent NaYbO2 single crystals, layered alpha-NaYbO2 (~250 um on edge) and octahedral beta-NaYbO2 (~50 um on edge), were grown for the first time. Synchrotron X-ray single crystal diffraction unambiguously determined that the newfound beta-NaYbO2 belongs to the three-dimensional pyrochlore structure characterized by the R-3m space group, corroborated by synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction and pair distribution function. Magnetic measurements revealed no long-range magnetic order or spin glass behavior down to 0.4 K with a low boundary spin frustration factor of 17.5, suggesting a potential QSL ground state. Under high magnetic fields, the potential QSL state was broken and spins order. Our findings reveal that NaYbO2 is a fertile playground for studying novel quantum states.