Abstract
We use neutron scattering and bulk property measurements to determine the single-ion crystal-field Hamiltonians of delafossites KErSe2 and CsErSe2. These two systems contain planar equilateral triangular Er lattices arranged in two stacking variants: rhombohedral (for K) or hexagonal (Cs). Our analysis shows that regardless of the stacking order both compounds exhibit an easy-plane ground-state doublet with large Jz=1/2 terms and the potential for significant quantum effects, making them candidates for quantum-spin-liquid or other exotic ground states.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 144432 |
| Journal | Physical Review B |
| Volume | 101 |
| Issue number | 14 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2020 |
Funding
We acknowledge helpful suggestions from S. Nagler on fitting and statistics. The research was supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering Division. This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.