Muon spin relaxation and rotation study on the solid solution of the two spin-gap systems (CH3)2CHNH3-CuCl3 and (CH3)2CHNH3-CuBr3

TL;DR

This study uses muon spin techniques to investigate magnetic properties of solid solutions of two spin-gap systems, revealing long-range order in one and magnetic instability in the other.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetic ground states of mixed spin-gap systems through muon spin relaxation and rotation measurements.

Findings

Long-range antiferromagnetic order observed at x=0.85

Critical exponent matches 3D-Ising model

Magnetic instability detected at x=0.95

Abstract

Muon-spin-rotation and relaxation studies have been performed on (CH$_3$)$_2$CHNH$_3$Cu(Cl$_x$Br$_{1-x}$)$_3$ with $x$=0.85 and 0.95, which are solid solutions of the two isomorphic spin-gap systems (CH$_3$)$_2$CHNH$_3$CuCl$_3$ and (CH$_3$)$_2$CHNH$_3$CuBr$_3$ with different spin gaps. The sample with $x$=0.85 showed a clear muon spin rotation under zero-field below $T_{\rm N}$=11.65K, indicating the existence of a long-range antiferromagnetic order. A critical exponent of the hyperfine field was obtained to be $\beta$=0.33, which agrees with 3D-Ising model. In the other sample with $x$=0.95, an anomalous enhancement of the muon spin relaxation was observed at very low temperatures indicating a critical slowing down due to a magnetic instability of the ground state.