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Inelastic neutron scattering investigation of the geometrically frustrated honeycomb cobaltate BaCo<sub>2</sub>(AsO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub> in a transverse field

ORAL

Abstract

BaCo2(AsO4)2 is a honeycomb quantum magnet where an antiferromagnetic third nearest neighbor interaction frustrates nearest neighbor ferromagnetic easy plane interactions which may place the material close to a quantum spin-liquid phase. In particular, a field applied transverse to the honeycomb plane should enhance quantum fluctuations and might be able to induce a quantum spin-liquid.

To explore this possibility, we performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements in a large transverse field. By tilting the c-axis by five degrees relative to a large vertical field, a small in-plane field was applied along the nearest-neighbor bond direction. Even with 10.9 tesla along c and 1 tesla along a, commensurate antiferromagnetic order and coherent, gapped spin wave exciations were found at T=1.8 K. Analysis of the corresponding anisotropic dispersion relation was used to further constrain the spin Hamiltonian for BaCo2(AsO4)2, and gauge opportunities for realizing spin liquid phases in the honeycomb cobaltate.

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Presenters

  • Thomas J Halloran

    Johns Hopkins University

Authors

  • Thomas J Halloran

    Johns Hopkins University

  • Tong Chen

    Johns Hopkins Univ, Johns Hopkins University, Rice University

  • Austin M Ferrenti

    Johns Hopkins University

  • Barry Winn

    ORNL, Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Melissa K Graves-Brook

    Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Robert Cava

    Princeton University

  • Tyrel M McQueen

    Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University

  • Ruidan Zhong

    Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ

  • Collin L Broholm

    John Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University