Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}

We report the coexistence of ferroelectricity and a spin liquid state in hexagonal TbInO_{3} with quasi-two-dimensional triangular spin lattice. Geometrical ferroelectricity associated with In trimerization accompanies topological ferroelectric structural defects. Magnetic susceptibility data show i...

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Main Authors: Jaewook Kim, Xueyun Wang, Fei-Ting Huang, Yazhong Wang, Xiaochen Fang, Xuan Luo, Y. Li, Meixia Wu, S. Mori, D. Kwok, Eun Deok Mun, V. S. Zapf, Sang-Wook Cheong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2019-07-01
Series:Physical Review X
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.031005
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spelling doaj-3ad22495ad164cd280ecf79f37b816732020-11-25T00:48:18ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082019-07-019303100510.1103/PhysRevX.9.031005Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}Jaewook KimXueyun WangFei-Ting HuangYazhong WangXiaochen FangXuan LuoY. LiMeixia WuS. MoriD. KwokEun Deok MunV. S. ZapfSang-Wook CheongWe report the coexistence of ferroelectricity and a spin liquid state in hexagonal TbInO_{3} with quasi-two-dimensional triangular spin lattice. Geometrical ferroelectricity associated with In trimerization accompanies topological ferroelectric structural defects. Magnetic susceptibility data show in-plane magnetic anisotropy of Tb spins without any long-range order above 1.8 K, and we also confirm no trace of any phase transition down to 0.15 K from a specific heat measurement, which indicates that this system is highly frustrated and may host a spin liquid ground state. By analyzing the Schottky anomaly in the specific heat results, we propose a model where crystal-field levels are different in each Tb sites, and only one of them has a magnetic ground state and forms a unique honeycomb spin lattice. These observations put forward an interesting possibility where spin liquid and ferroelectric behaviors coexist, and the atomically sharp ferroelectric domain walls may host new magnetic edge states or local spin excitations.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.031005
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Jaewook Kim
Xueyun Wang
Fei-Ting Huang
Yazhong Wang
Xiaochen Fang
Xuan Luo
Y. Li
Meixia Wu
S. Mori
D. Kwok
Eun Deok Mun
V. S. Zapf
Sang-Wook Cheong
spellingShingle Jaewook Kim
Xueyun Wang
Fei-Ting Huang
Yazhong Wang
Xiaochen Fang
Xuan Luo
Y. Li
Meixia Wu
S. Mori
D. Kwok
Eun Deok Mun
V. S. Zapf
Sang-Wook Cheong
Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}
Physical Review X
author_facet Jaewook Kim
Xueyun Wang
Fei-Ting Huang
Yazhong Wang
Xiaochen Fang
Xuan Luo
Y. Li
Meixia Wu
S. Mori
D. Kwok
Eun Deok Mun
V. S. Zapf
Sang-Wook Cheong
author_sort Jaewook Kim
title Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}
title_short Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}
title_full Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}
title_fullStr Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}
title_full_unstemmed Spin Liquid State and Topological Structural Defects in Hexagonal TbInO_{3}
title_sort spin liquid state and topological structural defects in hexagonal tbino_{3}
publisher American Physical Society
series Physical Review X
issn 2160-3308
publishDate 2019-07-01
description We report the coexistence of ferroelectricity and a spin liquid state in hexagonal TbInO_{3} with quasi-two-dimensional triangular spin lattice. Geometrical ferroelectricity associated with In trimerization accompanies topological ferroelectric structural defects. Magnetic susceptibility data show in-plane magnetic anisotropy of Tb spins without any long-range order above 1.8 K, and we also confirm no trace of any phase transition down to 0.15 K from a specific heat measurement, which indicates that this system is highly frustrated and may host a spin liquid ground state. By analyzing the Schottky anomaly in the specific heat results, we propose a model where crystal-field levels are different in each Tb sites, and only one of them has a magnetic ground state and forms a unique honeycomb spin lattice. These observations put forward an interesting possibility where spin liquid and ferroelectric behaviors coexist, and the atomically sharp ferroelectric domain walls may host new magnetic edge states or local spin excitations.
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.031005
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