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Origin of the Spin-Orbital Liquid State in a Nearly J=0 Iridate Ba3ZnIr2O9

Type of publication Peer-reviewed
Publikationsform Original article (peer-reviewed)
Author Nag Abhishek, Middey S., Bhowal Sayantika, Panda S. K., Mathieu Roland, Orain J. C., Bert F., Mendels P., Freeman P. G., Mansson M., Ronnow H. M., Telling M., Biswas P. K., Sheptyakov D., Kaushik S. D., Siruguri Vasudeva, Meneghini Carlo, Sarma D. D., Dasgupta Indra, Ray Sugata,
Project Quantum Magnetism - Spinons, Skyrmions and Dipoles
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Original article (peer-reviewed)

Journal Physical Review Letters
Volume (Issue) 116(9)
Page(s) 097205
Title of proceedings Physical Review Letters
DOI 10.1103/physrevlett.116.097205

Open Access

URL https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/217658
Type of Open Access Repository (Green Open Access)

Abstract

We show using detailed magnetic and thermodynamic studies and theoretical calculations that the ground state of Ba3ZnIr2O9 is a realization of a novel spin-orbital liquid state. Our results reveal that Ba3ZnIr2O9 with Ir5+ (5d(4)) ions and strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) arrives very close to the elusive J = 0 state but each Ir ion still possesses a weak moment. Ab initio density functional calculations indicate that this moment is developed due to superexchange, mediated by a strong intradimer hopping mechanism. While the Ir spins within the structural Ir2O9 dimer are expected to form a spin-orbit singlet state (SOS) with no resultant moment, substantial frustration arising from interdimer exchange interactions induce quantum fluctuations in these possible SOS states favoring a spin-orbital liquid phase down to at least 100 mK.
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