Magnetic field-temperature phase diagram of the spin- 12 triangular lattice antiferromagnet KYbSe2

Sangyun Lee, Andrew J. Woods, Minseong Lee, Shengzhi Zhang, Eun Sang Choi, A. O. Scheie, D. A. Tennant, J. Xing, A. S. Sefat, R. Movshovich

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Abstract

A quantum spin liquid (QSL) is a state of matter characterized by fractionalized quasiparticle excitations, quantum entanglement, and a lack of long-range magnetic order. However, QSLs have evaded definitive experimental observation. Several Yb3+-based triangular lattice antiferromagnets with effective S=12 have been suggested to stabilize the QSL state as the ground state. Here, we build a comprehensive magnetic temperature phase diagram of a high-quality single crystalline KYbSe2 via heat capacity and magnetocaloric effect down to 30 mK with magnetic field applied along the a axis. At zero magnetic field, we observe the magnetic long-range order at TN=0.29 K entering 120 degrees ordered state in heat capacity, consistent with neutron scattering studies. Analysis of the low-temperature (T) specific heat (C) at zero magnetic field indicates linear T dependence of C/T and a broad hump of C/T in the proximate QSL region above TN. By applying magnetic field, we observe the up-up-down phase with 1/3 magnetization plateau and oblique phases, in addition to two new phases. These observations strongly indicate that while KYbSe2 closely exhibits characteristics resembling an ideal triangular lattice, deviations may exist, such as the effect of the next-nearest-neighbor exchange interaction, calling for careful consideration for spin Hamiltonian modeling. Further investigations into tuning parameters, such as chemical pressure, could potentially induce an intriguing QSL phase in the material.

Original languageEnglish
Article number155129
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume109
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 15 2024

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