Fragile singlet ground-state magnetism in the pyrochlore osmates R2Os2 O7 (R= y and Ho)

The singlet ground-state magnetism in pyrochlore osmates Y2Os2O7 and Ho2Os2O7 is studied by dc and ac susceptibility, specific heat, and neutron powder diffraction measurements. Despite the expected nonmagnetic singlet in the strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) limit for Os4+ (5d4), Y2Os2O7 exhibits a spin-glass ground state below 4 K with weak magnetism, suggesting possible proximity to a quantum phase transition between the nonmagnetic state in the strong SOC limit and a magnetic state in the strong superexchange limit. Ho2Os2O7 has the same structural distortion as in Y2Os2O7; however, the Os sublattice in Ho2Os2O7 shows long-range magnetic ordering below 36 K. The sharp difference of the magnetic ground state between Y2Os2O7 and Ho2Os2O7 signals that the singlet ground-state magnetism in R2Os2O7 is fragile and can be disturbed by the weak 4f-5d interactions.