Static magnetic order with strong quantum fluctuations in spin-1/2 honeycomb magnet Na2Co2TeO6

Jinlong Jiao; Xiyang Li; Gaoting Lin; Mingfang Shu; Wei Xu; Oksana Zaharko; Toni Shiroka; Tao Hong; Alexander I. Kolesnikov; Guochu Deng; Sarah Dunsiger; Meigan C. Aronson; Haidong Zhou; Xiaoqun Wang; Tian Shang; Jie Ma

doi:10.1038/s43246-024-00594-1

Static magnetic order with strong quantum fluctuations in spin-1/2 honeycomb magnet Na₂Co₂TeO₆

Jinlong Jiao, Xiyang Li, Gaoting Lin, Mingfang Shu, Wei Xu, Oksana Zaharko, Toni Shiroka, Tao Hong, Alexander I. Kolesnikov, Guochu Deng, Sarah Dunsiger, Meigan C. Aronson, Haidong Zhou, Xiaoqun Wang, Tian Shang, Jie Ma

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Kitaev interactions, arising from the interplay of frustration and bond anisotropy, can lead to strong quantum fluctuations and, in an ideal case, to a quantum-spin-liquid state. However, in many nonideal materials, spurious non-Kitaev interactions typically promote a zigzag antiferromagnetic order in the d-orbital transition-metal compounds. Here, by combining neutron scattering with muon-spin rotation and relaxation techniques, we provide mechanism insights into the exotic properties of Na₂Co₂TeO₆, a candidate material of the Kitaev model. Below T_N, the zero-field muon-spin relaxation rate becomes almost constant (~0.45 μs⁻¹). We attribute this temperature-independent relaxation rate to the strong quantum fluctuations, as well as to the frustrated Kitaev interactions. As the magnetic field increases, neutron scattering data indicate a broader spin-wave excitation at the K-point. Therefore, quantum fluctuations seem not only robust but are even enhanced by the applied magnetic field. Our findings provide valuable hints for understanding the onset of the quantum-spin-liquid state in Kitaev materials.

Original language	English
Article number	159
Journal	Communications Materials
Volume	5
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00594-1
State	Published - Dec 2024

Funding

G.T.L., T.S., and J.M. thank the financial support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFA1402702), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. U2032213, 12004243, 12374105). G.T.L. acknowledges support from the Startup Fund for Young Faculty at SJTU (24\u00D7010500168). J.M. thanks the interdisciplinary program Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center (No. WHMFC 202122), Huazhong University of Science and Technology. T.S. acknowledges support from the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant Nos. 21ZR1420500 and 21JC1402300), Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing (Grant No. CSTB-2022NSCQ-MSX1678). X.Y.L. was supported by the National Science Foundation through grant NSF-DMR\u22121807451. Work at UBC (X.Y.L., M.C.A.) was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and through the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF). M.S. thanks the support from Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Extreme Conditions (Grant No. 2023B1212010002). The work performed in the University of Tennessee (crystal growth) was supported by NSF-DMR-2003117. We acknowledge the neutron beam time from SINQ with Proposal 20222504, SNS with Proposal No. IPTS-27393.1, and ANSTO with Proposal No. P15604. We thank ACNS for the beam time and the sample environment group at ACNS for the support. This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Part of this work is based on experiments performed at the Swiss spallation neutron source SINQ, and the Swiss muon source at the Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.

Funders	Funder number
NSF-DMR-2003117
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund
University of Tennessee
University of British Columbia
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Canada First Research Excellence Fund
Office of Science
SINQ	IPTS-27393.1
Startup Fund for Young Faculty at SJTU	24×010500168
Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipality	21ZR1420500, 21JC1402300
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Extreme Conditions	2023B1212010002
National Science Foundation	NSF-DMR−1807451
National Natural Science Foundation of China	12374105, U2032213, 12004243
National Key Research and Development Program of China	2022YFA1402702
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation	P15604
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences	WHMFC 202122
Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality	CSTB-2022NSCQ-MSX1678

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Jiao, J., Li, X., Lin, G., Shu, M., Xu, W., Zaharko, O., Shiroka, T., Hong, T., Kolesnikov, A. I., Deng, G., Dunsiger, S., Aronson, M. C., Zhou, H., Wang, X., Shang, T., & Ma, J. (2024). Static magnetic order with strong quantum fluctuations in spin-1/2 honeycomb magnet Na₂Co₂TeO₆. Communications Materials, 5(1), Article 159. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00594-1

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title = "Static magnetic order with strong quantum fluctuations in spin-1/2 honeycomb magnet Na2Co2TeO6",

abstract = "Kitaev interactions, arising from the interplay of frustration and bond anisotropy, can lead to strong quantum fluctuations and, in an ideal case, to a quantum-spin-liquid state. However, in many nonideal materials, spurious non-Kitaev interactions typically promote a zigzag antiferromagnetic order in the d-orbital transition-metal compounds. Here, by combining neutron scattering with muon-spin rotation and relaxation techniques, we provide mechanism insights into the exotic properties of Na2Co2TeO6, a candidate material of the Kitaev model. Below TN, the zero-field muon-spin relaxation rate becomes almost constant (~0.45 μs−1). We attribute this temperature-independent relaxation rate to the strong quantum fluctuations, as well as to the frustrated Kitaev interactions. As the magnetic field increases, neutron scattering data indicate a broader spin-wave excitation at the K-point. Therefore, quantum fluctuations seem not only robust but are even enhanced by the applied magnetic field. Our findings provide valuable hints for understanding the onset of the quantum-spin-liquid state in Kitaev materials.",

author = "Jinlong Jiao and Xiyang Li and Gaoting Lin and Mingfang Shu and Wei Xu and Oksana Zaharko and Toni Shiroka and Tao Hong and Kolesnikov, {Alexander I.} and Guochu Deng and Sarah Dunsiger and Aronson, {Meigan C.} and Haidong Zhou and Xiaoqun Wang and Tian Shang and Jie Ma",

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doi = "10.1038/s43246-024-00594-1",

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AU - Jiao, Jinlong

AU - Li, Xiyang

AU - Lin, Gaoting

AU - Shu, Mingfang

AU - Xu, Wei

AU - Zaharko, Oksana

AU - Shiroka, Toni

AU - Hong, Tao

AU - Kolesnikov, Alexander I.

AU - Deng, Guochu

AU - Dunsiger, Sarah

AU - Aronson, Meigan C.

AU - Zhou, Haidong

AU - Wang, Xiaoqun

AU - Shang, Tian

AU - Ma, Jie

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

N2 - Kitaev interactions, arising from the interplay of frustration and bond anisotropy, can lead to strong quantum fluctuations and, in an ideal case, to a quantum-spin-liquid state. However, in many nonideal materials, spurious non-Kitaev interactions typically promote a zigzag antiferromagnetic order in the d-orbital transition-metal compounds. Here, by combining neutron scattering with muon-spin rotation and relaxation techniques, we provide mechanism insights into the exotic properties of Na2Co2TeO6, a candidate material of the Kitaev model. Below TN, the zero-field muon-spin relaxation rate becomes almost constant (~0.45 μs−1). We attribute this temperature-independent relaxation rate to the strong quantum fluctuations, as well as to the frustrated Kitaev interactions. As the magnetic field increases, neutron scattering data indicate a broader spin-wave excitation at the K-point. Therefore, quantum fluctuations seem not only robust but are even enhanced by the applied magnetic field. Our findings provide valuable hints for understanding the onset of the quantum-spin-liquid state in Kitaev materials.

AB - Kitaev interactions, arising from the interplay of frustration and bond anisotropy, can lead to strong quantum fluctuations and, in an ideal case, to a quantum-spin-liquid state. However, in many nonideal materials, spurious non-Kitaev interactions typically promote a zigzag antiferromagnetic order in the d-orbital transition-metal compounds. Here, by combining neutron scattering with muon-spin rotation and relaxation techniques, we provide mechanism insights into the exotic properties of Na2Co2TeO6, a candidate material of the Kitaev model. Below TN, the zero-field muon-spin relaxation rate becomes almost constant (~0.45 μs−1). We attribute this temperature-independent relaxation rate to the strong quantum fluctuations, as well as to the frustrated Kitaev interactions. As the magnetic field increases, neutron scattering data indicate a broader spin-wave excitation at the K-point. Therefore, quantum fluctuations seem not only robust but are even enhanced by the applied magnetic field. Our findings provide valuable hints for understanding the onset of the quantum-spin-liquid state in Kitaev materials.

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Static magnetic order with strong quantum fluctuations in spin-1/2 honeycomb magnet Na₂Co₂TeO₆

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