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Experimental signatures of a three-dimensional quantum spin liquid in effective spin-1/2 Ce<sub>2</sub>Zr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> pyrochlore

Invited

Abstract

A quantum spin liquid (QSL) is an exotic state of matter where unpaired electrons’ spins, although being entangled, do not show magnetic order even at the zero-temperature. Because such a state may be important to the microscopic origin of high-transition temperature superconductivity and useful for quantum computation, the experimental realization of QSL is a long-sought goal in condensed matter physics. Previous neutron scattering experiments on the two-dimensional QSL candidates ZnCu3(OD)6Cl2 and YbMgGaO4 have found evidence for the hallmark of a QSL at very low temperature - a continuum of magnetic excitations. However, the presence of site disorder complicates the interpretation of the data. Recently, the three-dimensional (3D) Ce3+ pyrochlore lattice Ce2Sn2O7 has been suggested as a clean, effective spin-1/2 QSL candidate, but the evidence of a spin excitation continuum is missing due to the lack of single crystals. Until 2019, the first single-crystal study of Ce2Zr2O7, a compound isostructural to Ce2Sn2O7, reveals the absence of magnetic ordering/spin-glass down to 20 mK and the presence of a spin excitation continuum at 35 mK. With no evidence of oxygen deficiency and chemical disorder seen by diffuse scattering measurements and neutron diffraction, Ce2Zr2O7 may be a 3D pyrochlore lattice QSL material with minimum magnetic and nonmagnetic chemical disorder. Recent works including elastic and inelastic neutron scattering measurements under magnetic fields, as well as diffusive scattering in Ce2Zr2O7 in large Q ranges, may help identify the system as an octupolar U(1) QSL.

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Presenters

  • Bin Gao

    Rice University, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials, Rutgers University, Department of Physics and astronomy, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Rice Univ

Authors

  • Bin Gao

    Rice University, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials, Rutgers University, Department of Physics and astronomy, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Rice Univ

  • Tong Chen

    Rice University, Department of Physics and astronomy, Rice University, Rice Univ

  • David W Tam

    Rice Univ

  • Chien-Lung Huang

    Rice Univ, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University

  • Kalyan Sasmal

    Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, University of California, San Diego

  • Devashibhai Adroja

    ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory

  • Feng Ye

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Lab, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Huibo Cao

    Oak Ridge National Lab, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA, Neutron Scattering, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Gabriele Sala

    Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Matthew Brandon Stone

    Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge national lab, Quantum Condensed Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oakridge National Laboratory

  • Chris Baines

    Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institut, Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Paul Scherrer Institut

  • Joel Verezhak

    Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Paul Scherrer Institut

  • Haoyu Hu

    Physics and Astronomy, Rice university, Rice Univ, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University

  • JAEHO CHUNG

    Department of Physics, Korea University

  • Xianghan Xu

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Sang-Wook Cheong

    Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials, Rutgers University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Center for Quantum Materials Synthesis, Rutgers University, Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers

  • Manivannan Nallaiyan

    Quantum Design Inc.

  • Stefano Spagna

    Quantum Design Inc.

  • M Brian Maple

    Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, University of California, San Diego, Physics, Univ. of California, San Diego

  • Andriy Nevidomskyy

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Rice Univ, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, TX, USA, Rice Center for Quantum Materials, Rice University, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Rice Center for Quantum Materials, Rice Univ, Physics and Astronomy, Rice University

  • Emilia Morosan

    Rice Univ, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Rice Center for Quantum Materials, Rice Univ, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University

  • Gang Chen

    The University of Hong Kong, Department of Physics and HKU-UCAS Joint Institute for Theoretical and Computational Physics at Hong Kong, The university of Hong Kong

  • Pengcheng Dai

    Rice Univ, Rice University, Department of Physics and astronomy, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University